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| Me running at the Rock On! Lake Perry 50k |
Well, I actually came to the blog today to write my race report from the Rock On! Lake Perry 50k that I DNF'ed, but I have my big move on the brain and can't really focus on anything else without posting about this first. Hopefully soon I'll get that report written, but right now, I just have to post about my big upcoming move. For any of those that are not already aware, on June 10th my wife & I will be leaving our home in Gardner, KS (suburbs of Kansas City) to move to Pensacola, FL. Moving half way across the country, about 900 miles. A whole new world.
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| Pensacola Beach, FL |
Why are we moving? A few reasons, really. One reason is the fact that I've been trying to get out of Kansas City for many, many years. It's a good place to live, I just really hate fall & winter. I do not like cold. I've wanted to get away from the cold weather for years. That also plays into one of the other reasons for the move. I've lived in Kansas City since about 1983, 31 years. That's a long time, especially when you are 36 years old. My wife has lived here her entire life. We both decided it really was time to try something different.
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| A nice view of the water and bridges in Pensacola |
My wife has an aunt & uncle that have lived in Pensacola for many years, and their two sons have lived their whole lives there. My wife, Kristy, has been visiting the area fairly often her entire life to visit these family members, and she's always loved it down there. I visited with her about a year or so after we started dating (the trip was probably about 12 years ago), and I was in love with Pensacola immediately. I wanted to move there then, but she didn't want to. We visited again last year and both felt like it was the right time to make a change and try life down on the Gulf coast.
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| Goofy times with my Mud Babe/Trail Nerd friends |
So now we've sold our house and it's almost time to move! I'm super-excited about this move, but there is one constant thought about it that makes me sad. My friends. Having lived basically all of my life here, all of my friends are here. I've made so many absolutely amazing friends here. Especially all of the awesome people I've gotten to know over the last couple years as a runner. Some I met through the Olathe Running Club, many through the Trail Nerds and Mud Babes, some through Facebook or even this blog, and some just randomly met various places. I have great friends here that I will miss desperately. They are fun, kind, awesome, inspiring, great people that I'm lucky to have in my life. I know we can all keep up together through the Internet and visiting one another, but it won't be the same not seeing them and running with them regularly. I will miss each and every one of them.
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Running at Blackwater State Park NE of
Pensacola with my friend Jamie |
I am very excited to make new friends, find new races, race new routes, explore new trails, etc. I have a couple runner friends in the area, so I look forward to getting to know them better, along with meeting some new people. Also, I have been keeping up with a couple running groups in the area, including the Pensacola Team RWB chapter, that I am looking forward to getting more involved with. I know those will be great ways to meet new people and make new friends. It really is a beautiful area, and for someone like me it seems like a runner's paradise. I like hot, humid weather. It'll probably take me a little time adjusting to the increased humidity, but I think I'll adjust just fine and come to love it. I certainly am excited that I won't have several months of blistering cold, ice, and snow to run through every year! Another big advantage will be my asthma situation. I have cold-induced asthma, so it doesn't even start to become noticeable until it gets below 40*, and really doesn't cause any problems until it's below 32*. Probably not a lot of days per year that I'll have to worry about that down in Florida. I look forward to that!
So the first event I have planned down there is the Pensacola Marathon in November, which I am SO excited about! It will not only be my first marathon in the state of Florida, but it will be my first marathon as a resident of the state of Florida! It will also be a great chance to see some friends. My friends Jamie will be pacing the the 4:30 group, which will be my goal time for a PR, so I'll get to run with him. Also, my friend Janee' Johnson is already signed up to come down and run with me as her first marathon, and I am working on getting her awesome sister Terri, and her boyfriend Brian to join us as well for their first marathons. I've also discussed it with a few other KC runner friends. I'd love to have a good group of KC friends joining me. What better sales pitch is there for a race than good friends, and drinks on the beach after we're done?? It's going to be great fun!!
So as of this writing, this is the countdown to our move on 6/10. It's going to be an exciting new adventure that I am very much looking forward to!!
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