Friday, December 30th was the last work day of 2016 for me, and I felt the need to do something special to close out 2016. A final small celebration of how 2016 had turned out pretty well, despite its inauspicious start. So, on the way to the office, I pulled into Chick-fil-A. Now, stopping at my favoriteRead more
Bear with me while I talk about running again, but there’s a point. As many of you know, I took up running later in life, eight years ago at age 40. And because I tend to go all in on something that hooks me, a year later I ran my first marathon. Now, that marathonRead more
I love to run, and I love classic rock. Therefore, I love to run while listening to classic rock. Long-time readers of this blog already know I spend way too much time tailoring music playlists for my races. My playlist for the 2016 Kiawah Island Marathon was no different – 44 songs, 21 of which were byRead more
A flooring contractor. Probably tile specialist. I hear that job is hard on the body. So, had I passed the man in Home Depot, I may have taken him for such a worker, with his knee brace and tennis elbow strap on his forearm – had I even noticed him at all. His stringy,Read more
While I fancy myself more Batman than Superman (my Flash days are long behind me), I do have my own Kryptonite: heat and humidity. So, back in late May, when I decided to train for another crack at a sub-twenty minute 5K, the weather in the Midlands of South Carolina looked to be the fly inRead more
If I was a drinking man, this might have been me in 2016: Sitting on this barstool, talking like a damn fool Got the twelve o’clock news blues And I’ve given up hope for the afternoon soaps And a bottle of cold brew Is it any wonder I’m not crazy? Is it any wonder I’m saneRead more
April 11, 2009 was probably the most historic day in Fowler Family running history. Not only was the Newberry County Memorial Hospital 5K that day the first 5K for my wife, my son, and me, all three of us actually won age group division awards. As an eleven year-old fifth grader, my son finished first in the 10-14Read more
As we pulled into the church parking lot, the old smokestack caught my eye. I made a mental note to take a picture of it before before we headed back out. The family and I exited the car and made our way around to the back of the church and entered the small fellowship hall. It was timeRead more
I am a great starter. Need someone to run the first twenty miles of a marathon? No problem. Need to tear apart an old Jeep in hopes of rebuilding it? Give me a wrench. Want to paint the master bathroom? Let’s go to Sherwin Williams. Oh…Wait…You want a finisher? Well, hold on there, pardner. Finishing isRead more
Ahhh. The mirror. As my time on this earth bears down on the half century mark (T-minus 24 months), I usually try to avoid it. I mean, there are plenty of other reminders about my age, other than seeing new gray hair and wrinkles. Sometimes, though, the reflection must be faced, and I’m not talking about after eatingRead more