Since we had another, yes another, day of rain I ran on the treadmill again. It’s May, I should be outside but it seems to rain every day I have off. Anyway, we have an awesome treadmill so I decided to map out my hometown. I ran from old 35/588 intersection down 588 to downtown Gallipolis. I ran along the river front and the park, past the old football stadium, elementary school and my old high school.
So many memories came back. Some good, some bad. Some good decisions I had made and some bad ones. People I haven’t thought about in years as I ran by their house or the street that lead to their house. People came to mind that I didn’t run by their house but I remembered if I would’ve mapped it out to go left or right I would’ve been right there. Right where I spent many days and nights of my youth.
I ran by my old elementary school and high school. I remembered recesses and I remembered running out of high school to be the first to get to Charlie’s or Remo’s, or the other place beside Charlie’s, can’t remember the name, to be the first to eat lunch. I remember when there used to be a pool behind the old shop building where I took swim lessons. I don’t remember so many big trees in front of the high school. Maybe those are new. A lot can change in twenty eight years. Wow, it’s been twenty eight years since I left that life. Like, there is a new high school now.
There were some new stores open along the way, some that replaced stores I remember being there but are no longer. There were shuttered businesses that used to be open. It’s crazy how all that came back. The old record store where I bought probably 80-90% of my vinyl records and cassettes is now something else. The same record store where some of my friends and I stood in front of all night long to be one of the first in line when they opened to get Bon Jovi concert tickets.
I remembered how “busy ” I was with friends, girls, sports, work and everything else instead of spending time with my grandparents or parents. How dad would try to teach me things about a car but I was too busy to have him teach me. If my car breaks down I will just pay someone to fix it. I didn’t need to learn those things. I’m paying for it now. How I wish I could have just one of those days with my dad back.
The small creek where we “hunted” crawdads. No big city lights to block out the stars or the lightning bugs. Running barefoot in the back yard playing wiffle ball. Swinging on the front porch as the sun went down.
Most people say they wouldn’t go back but I would go back. Even it was for only a day. Only if I could do it all over again and still end up where I am of course. Everything I have gone through has helped shape me into the person I am today. I wouldn’t want to change my kids for anything. I love who they are and who they are becoming. I like where I am in my life now.
Yes I would go back. Just for a day. For the simple life of a small town. For mom’s cooking and advice, she still gives that to me. Maybe the past me would listen this time. For friends I wish I still had. To treat certain people a little better than I did. To be able to waste a Friday night cruising around the park. To be able to go out in the early morning and come back just before dinner and not have to worry if I was kidnapped or where I was or what I was doing. To not be attached 24/7 to a cell phone. To be able to come home and talk about my day because we hadn’t talked all day.
A simple life in a small house in a small town. Where you knew your neighbors and they actually cared about you and your kids. A simple life with dandelions and daffodils in my yard and not getting a letter from my home owners association that I need to get rid of them.
A simple life. One where I can actually live this life God has given me instead of living to pay bills. A simple life where I can give more. More of my time, more of my money, more of my life.
A simple life. Where there is more love and less hate. A simple life. Where there is more good and less evil. A simple life. Where more people lived for others and less for themselves. A simple life.
A simple life. I see a tiny house in my future. One I can take around the country until I find a simple place to put it. A simple place that’s warm of course.
A Simple Life by Green River Ordinance –
Simple Life by The Lost Trailers –
Wasted Time by Keith Urban –
Huntin’, Fishin’, Lovin’ Every Day by Luke Bryan –
Simple Life by Lynyrd Skynyrd –
Simple Man by Shinedown, cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd but since I have them above –
Seven new musician followers this week. This is part two of this weeks post. Please take a listen and find some new music to listen to. Please feel free to share/purchase the song I wrote with Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise. I have many more songs I would like to get out there but can not financially afford to record them. If interested in teaming up together, feel free to contact me.
Crowd Chant ( Joe Satriana cover) by Lena Garcia –
Happy Ever After by John Tracy –
Impossible by J.P. Kallio –
Thanks for all the follows, musicians and non-musicians.
Some more music I have been listening to recently.
Jacob’s Song by Briana Babineaux –
Just Hold On by Citizen Way –
Keep by Jaheim –
Keeping Your Head Up by Birdy –
King Of The World by Weezer –
Lean On Me by Consumed By Fire –
Learning by Anderson East –
Let’s Call It A Day by Supersonic Blues Machine –
Lifted by Birdy –
Long Ride by Black Stone Cherry –
Love Don’t Let Me Down by Hayes Carll –
The Love That We Need by Hayes Carll –
The Lucky Ones by Sam Riggs –
and our song:
I Question You by Lily Messer –
On Itunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943
Seven new musician followers this week. Will split them up between this post and the next. Too much good music and didn’t want to bombard all in one post. SO, this is part one. Please take a listen and find some new music to listen to. Please feel free to share/purchase the song I wrote with Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise. I have many more songs I would like to get out there but can not financially afford to record them. If interested in teaming up together, feel free to contact me.
Indian Summer by Chloe Caroline –
Mix It Up by Steven Schriner –
Armegeddy by Flops Ego –
We Pray by Henshaw Arrey –
Thanks for all the follows, musicians and non-musicians.
Some other music from non-followers I have listened to recently. Pick out a few you haven’t heard and take a listen.
Giving Over by Consumer By Fire –
God Is Good by Charles Billingsley –
Good Die Young by Adelitas Way –
Good While It Lasted by Hays Carll –
Goodbye To You by Ben Harper –
Grandma’s Garden by Zac Brown Band –
Grateful by Rita Wilson –
Harbor The Fugitive by Adelitas Way –
The Heartbreak Girl by Sam Riggs –
Hold The Rain by Consumed By Fire –
How Does It Feel by Tonight Alive –
Human Interaction by Tonight Alive –
I Cried by Brandy Clark –
I Defy by Tonight Alive –
I Let My Heart Open by Charles Billingsley –
I Will by Citizen Way –
I…Like You by Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots –
I’m Desperate by Briana Babineaux –
In Your Head by Pete Yorn –
and our song:
I Question You by Lily Messer –
On Itunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943
May is graduation month. I wrote this a year ago. Hope you like it. Let’s turn it into a song- contact me.
Graduation Song
Going off to college
Filling your head with knowledge
Don’t wish away your youth
Never forget God is the truth
Maybe college isn’t your thing
Maybe you have some other dream
Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars
Having a good character will take you far
When challenges face you
Ask what would Jesus do
When you are pressured
Remember in God you are treasured
Put your faith in Jesus
He is always with us
When you are up late at night
I pray you will do what is right
My child, going out on your own
Hard to believe how fast you’ve grown
I know in God’s arms you will be held
I put my trust in He who has never failed
Choose your friends wisely
Don’t follow them blindly
Call home more than you thought you would
Say I love you more than you think you should
Don’t forget where you come from
Remember when this life is done
You will account for your time on this earth
Did you live for what His dying was worth
Forgive as you have been forgiven
Be joyful in this life you are livin’
Smile and laugh, speak of Him often
His words are never to be forgotten
My child, going out on your own
Hard to believe how much you’ve grown
I know in God’s arms you will be held
I put my trust in He who has never failed
Our house will always be your home
It’s hard to believe how fast you’ve grown
Enjoy life, you won’t be alone in the big out there
God’s promises, our love, we will always care
My child, going out on your own
Hard to believe how much you’ve grown
I know in God’s arms you will be held
I put my trust in He who has never failed
I put my trust in He who has never failed
Keep In Mind by Locash Cowboys –
Be Careful Out There by Regina Belle –
Find Your Wings by Mark Harris –
My Wish by Rascal Flatts –
I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack –
Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C –
In These Halls by Madilyn Bailey –
Now for those of us parents, here are a couple funny ones because we know what’s about to happen :
First, I would like to give a shout out to our National Champions.
Chris Landry won the men’s race in 1:02:52. Yeah, you read that right. 4:48 per mile pace. Holy crap. He outran second place, Scott Fauble, by 14 seconds.
Photo credit : Barbara J. Perenic |Columbus Dispatch
Tara Welling won the women’s race in 1:10:25 . That’s a 5:23 per mile pace. She outran second place, Desiree Linden, by 41 seconds.
Photo credit : Barbara J. Perenic |Columbus Dispatch
Another big shout out to the wife, Kim, who, only twelve days after running the Boston Marathon and two days after turning 47, finished in 1:39:10. This placed her second in her age group, 45-49. That’s also a top 6% finish for all runners.
Kim Hansen
Age: 47
Time: 1:39:10
5 Mile
37:02
Average Pace : 7:35
Overall Place :353 out of 6067 Gender Place :60 out of 3467 Females Age Group : 2 out of 304 Females in the F45-49
Once again I bit off more than I could chew. Last year, I knew I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t ran more than five miles before the race so I ran a 2:15. 35 minutes slower than my normal half marathons and 40 minutes off my PR. This year, I have had ups and downs in my training but was feeling decent for this race. One day would be good, three-five miles at 7:30ish pace. The next day would be crap, like not being able to run 5 miles without stopping. I ran 10.70 miles in Boston and it was the best I felt in a long time. My pace was 8:26, about a minute off my normal pace pre-injury. Then three days later I couldn’t run two miles without stopping. What the heck!!
I didn’t have much expectation. Yes, I would like to have been 1:45 and under but realistically, I knew that wouldn’t happen. Let’s go for under two hours and if that fails, let’s just beat last year since I know I am better than last year at least.
The good – I told myself I would go at least five miles before walking through a water station, I went eight. My first three miles were 7:49, 7:37, 7:56. I felt good. Through 8 miles I was on pace to finish at 1:47. That’s the end of the good.
I stopped at the water station at mile 8 coming off High Street and that’s when the crap hit the fan. The instant I stopped, my legs felt tired. My thighs felt beat up and my left hip was aching. I was light-headed and got dizzy for a second. That’s never happened before. I started to run again and only ran about half a mile before I had to stop again. I was thinking good thoughts. Less than five miles to go, you can do this, etc..
I ran and walked the next two miles and was thinking okay , only a 5k left to go. Piece of cake. It was then I couldn’t breathe right. This happened once a few weeks ago when I was running with Kim. I don’t know how to explain it other than I could tell air was leaving my lungs, but it didn’t feel like air was going into my lungs, and my body. It didn’t feel like my heart was working I guess you could say. Now I have to wonder if something is up with my heart. Maybe I am just falling apart at the ripe old age of 45.
I don’t remember much of the last three miles except I knew I was being careful and almost thought about stopping. But then I wouldn’t get the medal at the end.
Silly thought I know since I couldn’t breathe. I just kept telling myself run until you can’t then walk until you can. I was mad at myself but still had 2 hours in sight. Then pretty much a quarter mile of the last one third a mile is uphill and I just couldn’t get it going. I finished in 2:01:38, a 9:18 per mile pace. Exactly two minutes per mile off my pace of 7:18 three years ago. I beat 63% of the people running but to me it was a failure and a let down. Yes, I know for most runners I did pretty good and I should be happy but for me and what I used to run it is aggravating.
Ave Pace: 7:18per mile Overall Place : 233 out of 8120 Gender Place :203 out of 3394 Males Age Group : 27 out of 466 Males in the M40-44
or this :
Flying Feather 4 miler in 2011
92
Rob Hansen
1021
M
41
M4049
14
301
27:08
6:47
Those were the good old days.
I even told my wife after the race that I am done racing. I was backing out of the Nationwide Children’s full marathon in October and everything. I am sore and in pain, like I was after my very first half marathon. I don’t know what to do. I feel really good if I stay between three and six miles. I can run in the 7’s per mile and not be tired. Maybe I should just stay in that range for awhile. Maybe I should get the surgery done. Maybe…..
When I am healthy, I like running long however I have to get it in my head I am not healthy. I still have a torn meniscus. I have to remember it took me years to get to where I could do a half marathon in 1:35. What makes me think I can do it after taking two years off? Yes, I ran last year but I didn’t do 200 miles for the entire year. I have just started in January running at least twenty miles per week so I have really only been getting back to it for four months. My mind won’t listen. It keeps thinking my body is like it was three years ago. No wonder professional athletes have such a hard time retiring.
Well, let’s see what the future holds. Will I retire from racing and just run for fun or will I return better than ever? Only time, and my body, will tell.
Thanks for reading. Have a blessed day.
I started to write this Saturday night when I was in a lot of pain. Two days later, I am much better. Only a little sore. I have found a new perspective. The best year of my running was also my worst year personally. Three years ago my marriage almost ended, my dad passed away and I tore my meniscus at the end. Maybe I just need to start over. Start from scratch and build my way up.
The women’s winner , Tara, quit running not too long ago and now she is back. Maybe one day I will be also. http://s.oregonlive.com/AEu0rZe
Which also brings me to God. How even in our worst moments, He can bring a ray of hope. How He doesn’t ask us to start over, He says come to me now, no matter what you have done, or where you have been, or how many times you have sinned, come to me as you are.
What a wonderful feeling to know that we have a God like that.
Five new musician followers this week. Please take a listen and find some new music to listen to. Please feel free to share/purchase the song I wrote with Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise. I have many more songs I would like to get out there but can not financially afford to record them. If interested in teaming up together, feel free to contact me.
Will You Be Mine by Carly and Martina –
The Don’t Believe In Love Love Song by TJ Watson –
Blessed by Aaron Ray –
Folsom Prison Blues cover by Emily Miller –
I’m Real by Keno Camp (Trendency Records) –
Thanks for all the follows, musicians and non-musicians.
Some other music from non-followers I have listened to recently. Pick out a few you haven’t heard and take a listen.
About To Find Out by Margo Price –
Ain’t No Shame by Anthony Hamilton –
All My Cares by Citizen Way –
Along For The Ride by Rita Wilson –
Back In My Arms by Jaheim –
Backwards World by Pop Etc. –
Better by The Showers –
Bigger by Citizen Way –
Blues of Desperation by Joe Bonamassa –
Born To Die by Black Stone Cherry –
Cleopatra by The Lumineers –
Deserve This by Adelitas Way –
Drive by Tonight Alive –
Drunk by Zayn –
Elevated by Citizen Way –
Elias by School of Seven Bells –
Endless Bummer by Weezer –
Every Day Is A Good Day by Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots –
Finding Our Way by Ben Harper –
Follow Your Heart by Consumed By Fire –
Forgiving Me Forgiving You by Rita Wilson –
and our song:
I Question You by Lily Messer –
On Itunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943
He was rolling down the mountain at a break neck speed. He could not believe how fast he was going. He tried to slow down, but he couldn’t figure out how. Once a pebble gets rolling, there is only one thing to stop him. He saw them in the distance but they were getting closer and closer the faster he went. There was no way to avoid the big, bad boulders so he just closed his eyes and
SMACK !!!
“Hey pebble, what do you think you are doing??!!” shouted the boulders. “Can’t you see how close to the edge we are? We have been balancing on this ledge for a very long time. We don’t need a little pebble like you messing our situation up.”
The pebble shook with fear. He had never seen boulders that big before. “I-I-I’m ssssorry. I didn’t mean to hit you but I was going so fast I couldn’t stop. Thank you for stopping me though. Do you think I could stay here?”
The boulders answered with a stern “NO!! We don’t need you here. You are not one of us and would mess our lives up with all your little talk.”
The pebble didn’t like their answer but went on his way. He tried to take it slower but with each downward slope and each breath of wind that blew he didn’t have much choice. He was so small he went wherever the wind blew him. Most days he didn’t mind, every day was an adventure. He never knew where he would end up. Other days, he just wanted to stop and fit in somewhere. He wanted someone to like him, for him to be a part of something bigger than him.
A big gust of wind started to blow and off the pebble went again. He was going so fast he would hit the ground then bounce up in the air. He felt like he was flying. “This must be how the birds feel,” he thought to himself.
Oh crap, more boulders ahead, the pebble screamed inside. “Look out boulders, I am coming right at you. I can’t stop!!!” yelled the pebble.
Once again the pebble was met with disdain. “Get out of here pebble. We are way too powerful for you. Do you NOT realize that we can squash you if we wanted to. You are too tiny to live here. Be on your way before we change our minds and decide to hurt you.”
The pebble didn’t waste any time scurrying from that place. He thought, What is wrong with all these boulders?Don’t they realize I don’t mean to smash into them. I’m just trying to find my way. Like I could ever hurt them anyway.
It was then he heard a small voice in the wind.” Go pebble go. Go where the wind takes you. You are more powerful than you know. Everything that is and has happened to you is for a reason. I didn’t mean you any harm when you crashed into those boulders. I was using you to try to change their hearts. To learn to be more accepting. To love something other than their own pile of boulders. It is not too late for them for you have planted a seed everywhere I have sent you. The choice is theirs. You tried. Keep trying and going forward. Do not be afraid.”
The pebble looked around but did not see anyone. Strange, he thought. At that time another gust of wind picked him up and took him on his way.
Not again, seriously, the pebble thought unbelieving. Why can’t I crash into a pile of grass or a stream of water. Why another pile of boulders? He braced himself for impact.
SMACK!!!!
This time the boulders didn’t yell at him. “Help us,” said the boulders. “We are about to fall off the edge.”
“How can I help you? I am just a small pebble,” the pebble asked. He was thinking this had to be some kind of trick.
“We are about to fall off the edge and we have been asking for someone like you. See this small hole in between us? We need you to jump in there and seal it so we can be strong. With you securing that hole, we don’t have to worry about falling off the ledge.”
Wow, thought the pebble. They really need me. “You can count on me,” he bravely said. “I have been wanting a place to settle down. A place that will accept me for who I am.”
He then jumped right into the hole and secured the boulders together.
“Thank you,” he humbly said. To the boulders and to that small voice he heard.
It was then they heard this rumbling coming down the mountain. All these boulders were falling all around them but , miraculously, none of the falling boulders hit them. The pebble recognized them as the same boulders who yelled at him and told him they didn’t want him.
“Thank you,” said the boulders he was with now. ” Without you, we would’ve had the same fate as those boulders. You saved us pebble.”
My God, My Music, My Life 