The Devil went down to Cleveland
Linda: I’ve never ridden in a pick-up truck before.
Anthony: I’ve never driven the Devil before.
Here we are at race number two. I guess I am really doing this. It’s crazy and exciting.
My first race was literally just a couple of miles from my home in Detroit. I didn’t go too far away for this one either. Cleveland is only about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away (if you don’t stop 17 times to pee).
The race started at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was so pumped because I love music. My taste is eclectic but my roots are in Rock and Roll. I grew up on bands like AC/DC, Queen, and Aerosmith. I’m still coming to terms with the idea that they are now considered “Classic” Rock. That just ain’t right.
I drove to Cleveland Saturday morning, dropped my stuff at the hotel, then took an Uber to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I did NOT want to deal with parking downtown. I hate parking more than Kim Kardashian hates turnstiles (think about it).
Uber Driver Spotlight: Steve
Steve picked me up at the hotel and took me to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was friendly and talkative, which means he and I got along just fine. It felt really good when I told him about my 50 Before 60 plan and he got excited for me. He said that he had a similar dream to visit every major league baseball stadium in the US. He then told me, proudly, about how he had been kicked out of Fenway.
Steve, you see, is from Brooklyn. While at a game in Boston, he got into a heated exchange with a Red Sox fan. The man foolishly compared the New York Yankees to a pile of poo. In order to defend the honor of his beloved team, Steve replied by chucking a hot dog at the loud-mouth’s head. Steve has a good arm and pin-point accuracy, so he hit his target dead on. A security guard saw what happened and escorted Steve from the park.
I’m going to use Uber a lot throughout this journey and I hope all of my drivers are as entertaining as Steve. Five stars, buddy!
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was close to a religious experience for me. I saw exhibits of the Rock Gods I’ve idolized for years. It was surreal to stand inches away from instruments played by Hendrix and ZZ Top.
Oh, and the MTV exhibit! It took this 1980s girl right back to all those afternoons spent watching videos by Prince, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, and Debbie Gibson (don’t judge me).
For you younger readers, way back in the day, MTV was kind of like YouTube. It’s how we watched the videos of our favorite bands. No, we couldn’t watch what we wanted on demand. We had to sit through a lot of crap in order to see the good stuff. You kids don’t know how good you’ve got it.
Oh! That’s why my music is called “Classic” Rock. Yep. Makes sense now.
I hit the gift shop of course. I wanted to get an AC/DC shirt to run in, so I asked the clerk where to find them.
“What about an AC/DC body suit,” she said.
“No way,” I replied, “I would need the jaws of life to get that thing out of my ass crack.”
The lady just shook her head and lead me back to the shirts where I found exactly what I was looking for.
I pried myself away from the hall of fame and went in search of dinner. Along the way, I passed by FirstEnergy Stadium, where the Cleveland Browns play. I was surprised to find a statue of Jim Brown out in front. I loved him in the movie I’m Gonna Git You Sucka! Did you guys know he played football too? Crazy!
Anyway, I found a nice chophouse and settled in for my pre-race dinner. Read my post for the Detroit race and you’ll learn that I don’t follow your typical race regimen. I’m Italian, so I love food and I love wine. I run so that I can have both as often as possible.
Chicken piccata is one of my favorite dishes and this place served up some of the best. I was starving so I woofed it down in like five bites. I’m pretty sure the faster you eat, the less time calories and fat have to stick with you. That’s just science. Trust me on this. I have a biology degree.
This is where the night got crazy. After finishing my dinner, I Ubered back to the hotel and was in bed by 9:30. Yeah! I’m a party animal. Buckle in!
I was so amped up the morning of the race. The 5K started off at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There was music blaring from giant speakers getting all of us hyped up to run. Maybe it was because I was there by myself, but I felt the comradery of everyone more strongly than I’d noticed at other races. It felt like a big family there to have fun. What a great vibe.
The course of the race took us through the area around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was nice and flat with no surprises. I was very happy with my performance:
Time to finish: 32.18 minutes
Pace: 10.24-minute mile
Rank in age bracket: 9 out of 46
I should say at this point that even though I pay attention to my time and stats, I do not run just for the time and performance. For me, it is about the experience. It is a time to be in the moment. A chance for me to do something exclusively for me. I am not running for anyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I love the support you all show me and if my running inspires you to get out there and do something for yourself, I say, “Hell yeah! Good for you!” But do it for you, just like I do it for myself. The journey is yours. It doesn’t belong to anyone else.
After the race, I was dying for Starbucks. Luckily, we are blessed to live in a country where you are never more than two blocks away from one. It felt so good to relax for a few minutes and sip my coffee. It’s the little things, ya know. Also, I had just run 3.1 miles, so it just felt good to sit.
With my unwinding done, I got an Uber and headed back to the hotel to pack up and go home.
Uber Driver Spotlight: Antonio
Antonio arrived in a pick-up truck. Now, I know you are going to find this hard to believe, especially since I grew up in Romeo, MI, but I had never ridden in a pick-up truck before. It’s also important for you to picture what I was wearing: Guitar pants, leopard print AC/DC tank top, and devil horns.
I opened the door and said, “I have never ridden in a pick-up truck before.”
Antonio replied without missing a beat, “I’ve never driven the devil before.”
I knew we would get along just fine and I was right. He was from Atlanta and was a big football fan, so of course, we talked football the whole ride. He was sure that the Falcons would have a good year. I told him that I had no faith in the Lions. Sorry, I’ve lived with the Lions too long to get my hopes up.
Antonio dropped me off at the hotel and wished me luck with my races. Thanks, Antonio. Five Stars, buddy!
I packed up the car and got on the road back to Detroit. This should come as no surprise, I was starving about halfway home so I stopped and got a calzone. This thing was as big as my daughter when she was born. I had to two-hand it and grease ran down my chin, which made driving difficult. It was so good though. Totally worth it.
When I got home I went straight to the map and pushed the pin in Cleveland. That’s two down!!!
What’s next? Stay tuned to find out.