Author Archives: Bill

Garmin Marathon 2019

Over the past few months, I’ve run a marathon and a couple half marathons. I had every intent of discussing them after each race, but life happens and time moves on – and then I get to write a post well after everything happened. So, here’s the recap of the 2019 Garmin Marathon.  

GARMIN MARATHON

The 2019 Garmin Marathon occurred on April 13 in Olathe. It started out at 35 degrees at race time. I had recently been running in 50 degree weather and was prepared to finally run in shorts and short sleeve t-shirt, but wasn’t going to happen on this day. 

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Linda was there to cheer me on in the beginning and every few miles along the race route. It is awesome to have someone out there ringing a cowbell to cheer you on as you’re chugging away mile after mile. It brought a smile to my face and everyone around me always commented on having my own cheering section. It was also great having Linda there to hand off my gloves when I no longer needed them as it warmed up into the upper 40s; if only I could’ve switched into shorts by that time. 

I was looking for an improved time over my results over the last two years. I’d made some rookie mistakes in the first race and wasn’t quite trained as well as I’d hoped last year. My plan this was was to run with the pacer the whole way and not get dropped. 

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I lined up with the 4:45 pacer and stayed with him all the way to the end. Running with Todd, my pacer, was the best choice I made all day. We had great conversations and learned of our shared interest in craft beer. Whenever we talked about beer, our pace would pick up and we’d have to back off the next mile. In fact, we gained so much time as we went along that I was able to finish in 4:43:19, almost 5 minutes faster than my best time achieved last year (was 4:48:41 last year and 4:52:54 two years ago). 

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The best part of the day was having my sister-in-law, Elaine, join me on the public trail portion of the race at about mile 17. Thank you, Elaine, for keeping me engaged and encouraged all the way to the end.

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2019 Chocolate Rush Half Marathon (2.2.19)

This was my 3rd year for running the half marathon that is an out-and-back from MidAmerica Nazarene University. What’s perfect is that I was already scheduled to run 13 miles that day as part of my marathon training plan.

I was up early and ready to be there for the 8 am start time. After having temperatures below zero just a few days before, it was nice that the temperatures were going to be in the upper 40s.

My goal was to finish before 2:15, so I ran with the 2:10 pacer. I was able to stay with that pacer until about mile 11, but I was able to stay just ahead of the 2:15 pacer.

The best surprise was that Linda texted me that she was at a certain location and had come out to see me run (we had previously agreed that she didn’t need to come out). So, at mile 8 she was there with her cowbell and cheering. What a great lift to my spirits.

I listened to music that kept me at a 180 steps-per-minute pace, which was good, but I started to get a little sore about mile 11 and 12. Last year I remember getting tired and needed to walk at around mile 8, so I was doing much better this year. I brought my own Gu gels and water, so I wasn’t dependent on waiting for the water stops during the race.

At about mile 12.5, the 2:15 pace caught up to me, but I was able to push it out a little bit more and crossed the finish line at 2:14:43. What a relief to beat my goal.

EATING A CHOCOLATE COVERED DONUT – WELL DESERVED
DRINKING DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE MILK

Welcome, Coach Klieman

After 30 years of loving and supporting Bill Snyder as coach of our beloved football team, he has finally retired. We have waited anxiously for announcement of the new head coach and Chris Klieman of North Dakota State University has been named.

Although there have been mixed feelings throughout the fan base, Linda and I are excited about this hire and look forward to what he will bring to our program. We are really excited for the first game next Fall.

Until we meet again, Robin

We attended the funeral of one of Linda’s treasured friends, Robin Cook. Robin had an awesome sense of humor and, as often mentioned, an infectious smile. She was truly the kind of friend that everyone should have.

The loss of Robin is made even tougher because it was just 4 years ago that we attended the funeral of her son, Jack. As Linda has said, “It’s so unfair”. Robin fought a valiant battle against breast cancer. It was noted that no one ever heard her complain about the pain and suffering she was experiencing. She kept smiling and was there for each of her friends.

We will miss you, Robin. However, we’ll keep smiling and laughing – just like you would want – until we meet again.

Eternal rest, grant unto her, O Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon
her!

48 Things about Linda – by Emily

Linda celebrated her 48th birthday the other day – and normally I wouldn’t share the particular number, but it’s kind of hard to hide when you consider the loving tribute that Emily wrote on Facebook the other day. With her permission, here is her post:

For Linda Maag’s 48th birthday I wanted to share 48 fun facts about my dear mother

1. She hates eggs
2. She is truly convinced that I will not be able to live on my own
3. She has to take a nap everyday or else she cannot function
4. One semester in college she didn’t have classes on Friday and now refuses to teach on Fridays
5. July is a month you should not talk to her because she is too busy watching the Tour de France
6. She took me to my first royals game when I was only 2ish months old (I do not remember it but appreciate the sentiment)
7. She spoils Sally and Suzy like no other
8. She loves Winnie the pooh and our dining room when I was little was basically a Winnie the pooh shrine
9. She is the best example of being a badass that you can ever find
10. She keeps her cool very well, but you better not mess with her
11. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she loves the chaos Anna and I add into her life
12. She knows a large amount of Spanish even though she refuses to admit it
13. She claims that she doesn’t have a favorite child except for Sarah
14. She is the one who taught me the most about politics
15. Linda Maag is her maiden name if you didn’t know and that is the name that I use when I am describing sassy or slightly angry Linda
16. She is a fanatic Royals fan
17. She is a true believer in the jinx
18. She cannot eat yogurt in the morning
19. She has a library problem and I mean that she puts too many books on hold at once
20. Somehow she trusts that I will work out all my relationship issues on my own
21. She will always say that she does not want a new electronic device, but Dad will always get her the new electronic device
22. Kill them with kindness is her best advice that she has ever given me
23. I can count the number on one hand the amount of times she has read a book on an electronic device
24. She refuses to be hooked up to machines aka the Apple Watch
25. She has the best Christmas lights in the world (it is spectacular)
26. She is a supporter of KPERS because both of her parents are public employees
27. Kenny Chesney, is in fact, her boyfriend
28. She is going to rule the world one day
29. She insists that Christmas does not start until after her birthday, but for the past two years has put up the Christmas Spectacular during Thanksgiving break
30. The only two drinks that I have ever even seen her seem to enjoy are a mimosa (90-10 orange juice to champagne) and a margarita
31. She cannot drink milk in the morning
32. There is nothing better to her (and me) then an 8am coke and a donut
33. She has three Christmas trees because she owns that many ornaments
34. If you cannot find her in the morning she is downstairs on the couch with two dogs on top of her blocking her from doing anything
35. She will single-handedly keep the library open with her small donation of 35 cents (?) a day (she swears by it)
36. She reads the newspaper everyday and refuses to do it on the Internet
37. I am going to come home one day to find that our entire yard was converted into gardens
38. If it was up to her she would still be using her blackberry but she is married to Mr. Technology
39. She is the type of mom that does not butt in my life but will fight my battles when I am too weak to
40. She will set up Christmas lights in the middle of summer if it means she gets to be on the great Christmas light fight on HGTV
41. She is a tiger mom when it comes to music
42. Her favorite kind of ice cream is chocolate chip ice cream
43. She does not like the pulp in orange juice
44. She does not read fiction anymore because she overdosed in middle school
45. She once didn’t get full homework credit in a math class because she was too shy to do more than her required one problem on the board.
46. She once rode a century in a day on the trails because she felt like it
47. She has two degrees from K-State and she uses that to tell us what kind of music sucks
48. She is by the far the best mother I could ever have and no one can convince me otherwise because this is a list of facts

I love you mom. Happy birthday! You are by far the strongest woman I know. If I end up being ¼ as strong as you one day, I know I will be fine.

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What’s Up, Buttercup?

Well, once again, the months have drifted by and I’ve not done anything to update the Blog. I think about it a lot, but I’m not very good about sitting down to write things out.

So, let’s just get caught up on what’s transpired since the last post – my 2nd marathon back in April.

April 2018:

April 28: Linda and I did some bike riding with friends. Frankly, Linda bikes quite a bit (usually at least 100 miles per week). I join with her at times, but find myself running more often than biking.

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May 2018: 

May 5: The whole family ran a 5K together for Cinco de Mayo. Linda and Anna mostly walked with some running. However, Emily ran alongside me for her first 5K. We also had some friends from the Symphony Chorus join us. 

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May 19: I ran the Bill Snyder Highway Half-Marathon in Manhattan for the 3rd time. I really love this race. It was stormy and raining hard the whole night before the race – and I barely slept. Fortunately, the lightening went away just in time for the start of the race and we only had a little bit of moisture throughout the morning. 

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I completed the race in 2:18:07 (which is a bit off my personal best, but did as well as I could considering the conditions). It was great having Linda there to be my cheer section and photographer.

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May 19: After the race in Manhattan, Linda and I “raced” back to Kansas City so we could attend the KC Royals game with the family, including my sister, Su, and her husband, Eric. This was the George Brett bobblehead game – so it was very important that we be there.

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May 20: I sang in the final concert for the season with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. This was also my last day as President of the Chorus (a 2-year position). I honestly have some very, very good friends from this group of 160. Here are a few of the closest friends – a group we call Team Geschwinde (a long story).

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After the concert was over, we held one grand party – complete with karaoke. If you’ve never done karaoke with a bunch of really good singers, you’re really missing out. What an absolute blast!

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When the party had come to an end, I was presented with a parting gift – a large sign with the Chorus logo, my name, and signatures from most of the Chorus members. There were a few tears in the corner of my eye; I’m not going to lie…

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May 22: Linda and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a night away at a luxury bed & breakfast, but also attended the James Taylor concert. Wonderful evening. 

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June 2018:

June 1-3: Linda and I joined some close biking friends (4 other couples from the KC area) for Kandango – a 3-day bike ride of 190 miles around Manhattan. It was a bit hot, but we had a wonderful time riding with wonderful friends. 

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June 21: My final responsibility as KC Symphony Chorus President was to throw a party for all of the executive board. We had burgers, brats, and a great time hanging out in the back yard. So glad to have a great crew continuing all of the hard work with the Symphony Chorus. I will be on the board for one more year as Past President. 

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June 30: The annual summer block party was held a few days before July 4 this year to accommodate work schedules (and our vacation schedule). We rented the 25-foot blowup waterslide again and it was (again) quite the hit with the kids and the adults alike. Lots of food and drinks – all with great friends and neighbors.

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July 2018:

July 8-11: The family took our summer vacation to Washington DC to see family (Linda’s sister and her family). This was time well spent with rest and relaxation. The trip included visiting the Holocaust Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and also went to a Taylor Swift concert at FedEx Field. 

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Before the concert, I met up with a dear old friend from our grade school days in Manhattan. Scott is a pediatrician in the DC area and we met up for some appetizers and brews on the Potomac. Just prior to this meeting, the family had just spent the previous 2 hours paddle boarding on the Potomac. 

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By the time we got to the concert at FedEx Field, we were a bit exasperated as we were swindled with a fake parking pass just outside the venue. To add to the exasperation, we realized we had 9 miles of gas left in the tank of a large SUV. 

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But – we made it inside with a few minutes to spare and the concert was honestly one of the most entertaining live concerts I’ve ever attended.

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Once the concert was over, we waited in the SUV until every single car had left so that we didn’t have to sit and idle while waiting to get out. There was a gas station just under 3 miles away and we had 6 miles left in the tank when we got there. What an adventure!

Our final activity before heading home was spending the morning at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens; this was beautiful with tons of water plants. 

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And, of course, we have to get our annual K-S-U picture in there…

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July 14: The annual Kenny Chesney concert is something that won’t be missed by any in this family. This is always a great concert held at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a warm evening, but all were happy – especially Linda.

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July 21: Linda and I participated in the Divine Run for SIDS 5K. It was a smaller race, but I actually came in 3rd in my age group at 32:34. I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn’t even pushing that hard. 

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After running the race, we drove to Manhattan for my 30th high school reunion. What a pleasure meeting up with old friends (although, Facebook has really helped all of us keep up with each other).

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August 2018:

August 1: Linda has been quite busy all summer helping out with the community WIC garden and also canvassing for our local State Representative, Cindy Holscher. Emily and I have also helped some with the canvassing. Linda has been very vocal in the community to make sure people are registered, know the issues, and actually get out and vote. I’m extremely proud of her involvement. Here she is after voting early in the primaries (we all voted for her as a write-in candidate for Precinct Chairwoman):

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August 13: After having Anna and Emily home all summer, we’ve moved both girls back to Manhattan for yet another year at K-State. Anna is now a junior in Music Education and Emily is a sophomore in Political Science. Here we are having lunch at Kite’s Bar & Grill while taking a break from moving Anna into her apartment. 

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August 17: Extending our summer concert attendance, Linda and I enjoyed an evening of music with Keith Urban. 

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August 20: Linda was busy starting back with the piano studio, but I had a couple days off with nothing planned, so I travelled down to Tulsa to see my family. It was a great evening hanging out with a nice dinner and hours of conversation. 

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August 26: Our latest concert was Luke Bryan. This was also a really fun concert. It really is a great thing to be able to share these experiences with Linda. Fortunately, many artists give concerts in Kansas City. 

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Garmin Marathon 2018

After running my first marathon last year (and making many of the rookie mistakes), I wanted to run a better race and improve on my time.

My training runs went very well this year, but I was definitely running a slower pace. I didn’t do all of the cross-training that I kept telling myself I’d do, but the running was going well and I wasn’t getting injured. That was extremely important.

The day of the race came and I felt good – but nervous. The traffic before the marathon was crazy and caused a delay in the start of the race. Although starting from a new location (with less traffic issues), Linda and I made sure I was there well early and I had plenty of time to get my mind fixed on what was about to occur.

Linda hung out with me, although it was a cool 48º with a dampness in the air. Frankly, this was perfect running weather. I made the mistake of dressing too warmly last year – wearing long running compression leggings and a long sleeve shirt (and it was even warmer). I made the decision to wear shorts, short sleeve shirt, and arm warmers. I had practiced with this outfit earlier in the week, realizing the arm warmers would make the difference. They did.

Just before the National Anthem was sung, I kissed Linda and walked over into the crowd, finding my pace group. The goal was 4:45 (7 minutes faster than last year).

Pleasantries were exchanged among the 6 or 8 of us; we were all planning to stick with the guy that promised to get us there at our “hoped for” time. Most of us were marathon “veterans”; however, two were running their very first marathon. This was going to be a great group with which to spend my morning running.

Linda was there at the start of the race and leap-frogged me all the way through mile 21. She took pictures and video throughout the time that she was cheering me on – often with her cowbell. Unfortunately, she had to judge a piano event and had to leave for that prior to my completing the race. My parents, however, were at the end of the race to meet me.

I’ll drop a quick 2 minute video of the pictures and video here – and then I’ll discuss the race in more detail.

My goal this year was to run steady and efficient. Last year, not only was I overdressed, but I was also wearing a Camelbak filled with water along with two hip flasks filled with water. This was a lot of unnecessary weight that I carried for a lot of miles. I was accustomed to be self-sufficient for my water and nutrition needs, but I was not familiar with how much I could depend on the race organizers to supply me with enough water and Gu packets along the course. Last year allowed me to gain the experience and knowledge of what I could expect this year. I also, like many newbies, did not pay attention to my pace last year and ran too fast for the first half. This year was going to be different.

Because my main goal was to beat last years time of 4:52:54, I chose to anchor myself to the 4:45 pacer. There is a lead pacer that will make sure that the goal time is reached; there is also a trail pacer that will keep the group within 2-3 minutes of the goal time.

I ran the first 18 miles with the lead pacer and most of the pictures and video show me with that group. However, the steep rolling hills on a running/biking trail between miles 18 and 19 finally got the best of me. My heart rate just wouldn’t recover without me slowing down. Over the next 2 miles, the pace group moved slowly away from me. However, I stuck with a couple other runners and we encouraged each other to keep going.

After being rained on for a bit at mile 20, Linda was waiting for me one last time at mile 21. I ran to her and gave her a big kiss and a thank you for all the support she’d given me over the past few months of training, but especially for the amazing support she’d given me that morning. In that few seconds, the other runners kept going and I was left back alone. The final 5 miles of a marathon are some of the toughest, requiring a lot of mental fortitude to make your body keep going. Last year, I found myself walking more than running and feeling a little down on myself that I wasn’t in the shape that I thought I was. This year, it was tough – but I felt much better about myself and had more mental toughness than I expected. I’d like to say that I shifted gears and took off in a blazing glory and caught everybody and beat my goal. That didn’t happen – but I did stay tough.

I carried a couple Gu packets with me, but, in hindsight, wished I’d had at least one small water bottle with me. I could’ve used maybe two more water stops along the last 10 miles of the race. This is not a criticism of the water stops – just the fact that I needed more water than I had and wished I’d brought some with me.

The trail pacer for the 4:45 group caught up to me at mile 25. The last 1.2 miles was slightly uphill and open with exposure to the wind. We talked as we ran. I mentioned that my goal was to beat the 4:52 mark and he figured out that it was in the bag – just needed to keep going. The uphill slog was draining and my legs begged for some reprieve. As if he knew I needed it, we slowed to a walk for about 30 seconds just before the mile 26 marker. This was the rest my legs needed so that I could bring it in for the last 0.2 miles – up the uphill drive of Garmin Headquarters.

It was great to hear my name called over the loudspeaker as I approached the finish line. It was even greater knowing that I’d beat last year’s time with a time of 4:48:41, an improvement by four minutes. It’s a long way from a Boston Qualifying time, but it was a Personal Record and I was very pleased.

The finishers medal was placed in one hand and a bottle of water was placed in my other hand. As I was looking left and right for my parents, the 4:45 lead pacer and one of the other pace group runners came over and gave me a hug. That was a great feeling to have them congratulate me and cheer me because I felt like I had let them down by trailing off and getting lost from the group. However, that’s what’s awesome about runners – they’re always cheering each other on.

I quickly found my parents and they went to warm up their truck to have a nice warm cab to climb in. However, prior to leaving, I needed to get my “prize”, a nice cold beer from the post-race festivities. Like last year, it was hard to finish a simple can of beer.

I was offered either a hamburger or hot dog. I really had to stop and think about it. My mind wanted one of each, but my body overruled and suggested it wouldn’t be a good idea. I truly wasn’t hungry. Plus, I knew that a big lunch with good beer would be waiting after my shower.

After going home and having a most wonderful hot shower, my parents and I went to the same post-marathon restaurant as last year, Barley’s Kitchen + Tap. With amazing food and over 100 beers available, the celebration would be awesome. Upon arriving to restaurant, a very good friend was there and brought over my first beer; Cheers!

I wish I had a picture of Linda standing on the side of the road – the many times she was there, ringing the cowbell and yelling “Go, Bill”. The pace group smiled and chuckled each time. After the first time we passed, I waved and smiled at Linda and the lead pacer yelled back “He loves you”. So, when you watch the video, you’ll hear me tell her that I love her. It was kind of corny the first couple times that we saw her, but I meant it – and meant it even more as the race went on. Having her there waiting for me every few miles was encouraging and told me how much she loved me. Thank you, Linda. I really do love you!

Finally, it was wonderful to have my parents in town for the weekend. When the opportunity came about for them to come to town on this particular weekend, I assumed they’d choose another since I was running my race. However, when they realized they could be there at the finish line and celebrate with me, they quickly offered to do so. It’s so good to be loved by family. I love you, Mom and Dad.

Sally & Suzy want you to know…

Sally & Suzy

Sally and Suzy want you to know that we’re still here and haven’t gone anywhere. It’s been a very busy 6 months and there’s a lot to catch up on. 

 

Keep your eye out for more blog posts coming soon. 

I Need a New Race

As I typed the title for this blog post, “I Need a New Race”, I have the tune of Huey Lewis and The News “I Need a New Drug” in my head. Now I can’t get it out…

Since my first marathon run in late April, I’ve gone on less than 20 runs. Most have been in the 3-4 mile range and my average pace has slowly drifted slower. Most importantly, my weight has slowly drifted to my pre-training weight. My clothes still fit, but I’m not happy with where I am currently.

I’m one of those people that dive head-first into any project that I choose to engage. True to form, I went crazy with running, including spending most of my free time with running books, magazines, and podcasts. I enjoyed almost every run, even if I wasn’t the fastest guy on the block. Having a goal of completing the marathon was a fantastic motivator; it was a lot easier getting up early to run or running in the rain.

Unfortunately, the warmer weather and humidity sapped every bit of desire to get out and run. Additionally, I really like food and craft beer. The combination of lack of exercise and increased consumption of empty calories has brought be back to where I was over a year ago. 

So, I need a new race. Something that will fit in my schedule and allow me to be motivated. The Fall season just doesn’t work for me because of KSU home football games and involvement with the Symphony Chorus. So, I need to find something that will work. I’m looking into a virtual race in November. Maybe that will be it.

Whatever I find – putting it out here on the blog will give me a bit of accountability. 

4th of July Block Party

Linda and I are so lucky because we live on one of the best blocks in town. We arrange to have our street closed each 4th of July (this year on Saturday, the 1st) for a block party so we can all have a blast right in the middle of the block, which is right in front of our house.

It was suggested we have a big bouncy-house water slide this year. We had about 10 families share the cost for a 22-foot inflatable water slide. You just can’t ask for more fun for a group of kids – and adults.

Here’s a short video clip of me having fun with some of the neighbors: