17.5 miles. Yes, you read that correctly. 17.5 miles. A great 17.5 mile run!!!
The long run was CRUSHED!
The long run was DESTROYED!
The long run was CONQUERED!
The man Is MARATHON READY! OH YEAH!
No, not me. I covered the distance, yes, but I didn’t run that far. It wasn’t me. It was Alex!
Continue reading “CRUSHING The Long Run!”
July 13, 2025
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Well, this is a strange and unique feeling for me. The NYC marathon is 16 weeks away and today would be the start of my marathon training season.
But I’m not training for marathons any longer.
My most recent marathon last January was my last marathon.
As I completed the Dopey Challenge in Walt Disney World in January, I determined that my marathon days were over. My reasons for retiring from marathoning are legion. I’ll touch on some of them below, but I have written a lot about that on these pages before.
The following are some of my scattered thoughts as I break away from the 16-week training period for the NYC – a ritual I followed for the better part of a quarter-century:
Continue reading “16 Weeks Until The NYC Marathon, But…”
Over time, we find out where we belong. We find our niche. We get comfortable where we are. This is true with the places we go, the friends we seek, and activities we participate in. And so much more.
This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t try new things, or visit new places, or look for new experiences, but, by and large, we find our comfort zones and we often stay in those places.
This is true of so many things in life.
For me, it also seems very true of my marathon times. It seems I have found my comfort zone.
Continue reading “Right Where I Ought To Be”
Each year, at the start of the TCS Marathon, I serve as one of the chaplains who run the Non-Denominational Christian Service for the runners in the Start Village.
The following is the sermon I delivered this year before the big race:
Marathon Sermon 2024
I am going to begin this year’s message with a passage from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 9:
“You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win!”
Continue reading “NYC Marathon Sermon 2024”
I used to run a lot of 5K races. I never won any, but I enjoyed running as fast as I could for just over the three miles that those races cover. I’d race against other runners, but in actuality, I would really be racing against myself.
A few weeks ago, I ran my first true 5K race in six years.
Continue reading “Just Be You”
I don’t want to do this. I am dreading doing this.
The NYC Marathon is 8 weeks away and my training has not gone well. I did 12.3 miles earlier today. That might sound nice, but I should be up to 15 or more miles by now.
I’m struggling with the long runs. I just don’t have the endurance.
I’m also running out of time. 8 weeks isn’t a lot of time.
My body is sore and tired. My legs are heavy.
I do not want to do this.
But, I’m going out for a run. I need to get a few more miles under my belt.
If I’m going to comple the NYC Marathon, I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
I wish there was another way…
Here is the Podcast link: https://ksje.podbean.com/e/write-on-four-corners-with-delsheree-gladden-interview-with-paul-semendinger-1719863217/
Click on the image below for link to purchase the book:
From the Write On Four Corners Podcast:
“Dr. Paul Semendinger returns to the show this week to discuss his newest book, “365.2: Going the Distance: A Runner’s Journey,” which details his effort to run every day for an entire year. He talks about the challenges he faced on his quest to achieve his goal and how he motivated himself to keep moving forward. “
I ran my first New York City Marathon in 2002. That seems like a long time ago. In subsequent years (2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022) I also ran New York City. It is a race and experience like none other. It’s a race that touches my heart and my soul in many ways. I love the big city; always have. And I love running through it. I love the New York City Marathon.
Continue reading “NYC Marathon Weekend 2023”
It wasn’t quite as fast as I wanted.
I thought I might be able to hit 4:19:00, but don’t get me wrong.
It was a glorious day. It was a great day. It was wonderful.
My finish time was in the top 45% of all finishers, meaning I was faster than more than half of the people who ran the race yesterday. Not bad for a guy in his mid-50’s.
I had a great first half (just around two hours) but I didn’t feel as well in the second half and my pace slowed considerably.
The New York City Marathon is one of the highlights of the year for me.
I again wore a Superman shirt. It is awesome to have people yelling, “GO SUPERMAN!” to me as I run. They made me feel like a true superman.
The crowds yesterday were AMAZING. Start to finish, the spectators were so enthusiastic. It was awesome.
I LOVE THE NYC Marathon!
***
Since I am still running every single day this year, I did a slow 2.25 miles today. It felt good to be out there.
No… it felt GREAT!
Tomorrow is the New York City Marathon.
I just completed my 16-week training period with a slow and easy 2.80 mile run. That run put me at 680 total miles for the 16 weeks. I averaged 42.5 miles a week for that entire period.
I’m in my mid-fifties, but those 680 miles were the most I ever ran in any training period. My previous high came way back in 2007 as I trained for the Marine Corps Marathon. I did 674 miles in training that year.
Continue reading “TOMORROW!!!”
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