Sunday morning Coffee and Chat

Sunday, June 28, 2015 · Mike Davis

Good morning, I am sipping on coffee and chatting this morning from Joint Base Andrew, otherwise known as Andrews AFB, home of Air Force One. I have been here since Thursday for work and enjoying the opportunity to meet with some great people but the real joy of being here was that my wife Kathy drove up from North Carolina to spend the time here with me. We had actually gone nearly 2 months without seeing each other so time together was long overdue. I have been part of this advisory group for something like 7 years and beyond the professional satisfaction of striving to make a difference, the friendships made have been by far the best part. Coming to DC is always fun though and the fact that my bride has been able to join me on many occasions has always been a wonderful benefit. Not sure if this will be my last meeting with this advisory group but chances are I will be back here at Andrews again in the future. I will have to say the discouraging part of coming here the past 7 years has to be observing the steady decline of the facilities. As the military continues to contract out more services the services and facilities have worsened or been eliminated in some cases. I understand the realities of the financial burden that are associated with military bases but often decisions to push money in some directions while eliminating the infrastructure that use to support the troops is kind of sad to witness. When I was a young airman at Little Rock AFB in Arkansas there were numerous base activities such as bowling, a movie theater, wood and auto hobby shop, different clubs and much more but now you see very little of those type of opportunities. Times change. Yesterday before my meeting I was able to get out for a run and that is always something I enjoy here on Andrews. Not that it is all that scenic but it just has a nice feel to it and there are plenty of sidewalks. When I started out there was a light rain but when I turned around the rain picked up considerably and my last 25 minutes were pretty wet. Overall I ran 48 minutes which while challenging because of the humidity was rewarding because it continues my increased climb in running duration. My knee is still not close to where I want it to be but I am getting there ever so slowly. Because I didn’t help myself by doing any alternate cardio exercises I am also trying to build back some conditioning as well. Yesterday’s run was challenging because of the nearly 100 percent humidity but I am also having to get my V02 max back up to a better level. I know I sound like a broken record but running based on time is some much scientifically beneficial as well as healthier and it is most definitely helping me move back toward my ultimate goals. We are getting ready to roll out some training group opportunities that we are really excited about. Beginning in early July 7th we will have an advanced 10K group meeting at the Dover track one day a week and at the Center another day. This group will be great that are running 4 plus miles already and looking to get stronger. Contact us at info@nofinishlinerunning.com for more info. The other group we are working on right now is a destination race of sorts. Beginning in late July we will have a group that has multiple options out of it. You can train for a half marathon or partner up with someone to split the distance. The White Mountain Half Marathon in late October will be our destination and this race also gives us multiple options. This group has potential for a lot of fun and information should be forth coming as we finalize the details. We really enjoy creating training groups that offer fun opportunities for all levels of runners to get involved. Nice interview piece in this past Thursday’s Portsmouth Herald: http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20150624/SPORTS/150629500?fb_action_ids=10207232073665978&fb_action_types=og.recommends I enjoy getting the opportunity to talk about running with the local media and it never hurts to get some publicity. Time to get along. Have a great Sunday and don’t forget “Pilates in the Park” this Thursday night at 6pm. Great fun and helpful! God Bless! Mike