My 1-2-3 Cents : Ashley Smith

Showing posts with label Ashley Smith. Show all posts

Monday, October 26, 2015

Old Glory Relay

The Old Glory Relay in Carterville, Illinois

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I recently had the privilege to run a small portion of the Old Glory Relay with Team Red, White and Blue. The group started running with the flag on September 11 of this year in San Francisco. They're passing the flag off to different runners all across the country, eventually ending the relay in Washington, D.C. in November.

A couple friends of mine, Tom Harness and Ryan McKennedy, had asked me months ago to be a part of it as the relay came through our town. I accepted the offer and invited others at work to run. Coworkers Ashley Smith and Brandon Merano joined me. This all went down one day after I ran my first marathon. I'd agreed to participate before checking what was happening the day BEFORE the relay. I let Ryan and Tom know that I'd do my best to run our leg, but I had major concerns.

USA! USA!

Some people told me running the 3.15 miles would be good for my recovery. Others suggested I was crazy for doing it. (Disclaimer: I'm not saying this to put myself on a pedestal) What put it into perspective for me was thinking about what our troops go through whether they're deployed or just the training they go through after enlisting. Then the sacrifices they and their families make when they're away from home. Top all that with the stress and trauma many experience once they're back in the United States. And lets not forget those who don't make it home at all. It quickly became a no-brainer that 3.15 miles was nothing in the grand scheme of things and no sacrifice at all.

Folks in Carterville ready for the relay

I'm so glad I took part in this event. Not surprising our town rallied and showed so much support for the runners and the veterans in this community. A stream of flags lined the busy highway as young and old gathered. A handful of veterans accepted the flag from the team bringing it to Ashley, Brandon and I which made for an emotional scene. Once we had the flag in hand, our team quickly headed down the highway with local fire and police department vehicles following closely behind.

Making our way down Route 13 in Carterville

We were greeted with honking horns and waves as we made our way down that 3.15 mile stretch of road. We received thumbs up and shouts of "USA!" People slowed down and snapped photos. I knew I was a part of something special when I signed up, but actually doing it was a whole new experience.

The handoff

I applaud anyone who has ever served our country or plans to so. These men and women deserve our respect and I'm so happy that people in our community gathered to show appreciation as the Old Glory Relay made its way through southern Illinois. Thank you veterans. Thank you friends.

Check out drone footage of the hand off shot and edited by Todd Ellis. Very impressive.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

I Ran a Marathon and Now I'm Gonna Brag About It

I think this was mile 15 or 16 and the rain had started up

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Earlier today I accomplished something I never thought I'd do. I ran (mostly) 26.2 miles in my very first marathon. And yes this post is probably going to end up sounding like me bragging, but please let me explain my back story.

Senior year of Cross Country

In high school I "ran" cross country. More accurately I was a member of the team all four years. I did it more for the social aspect than the actually wanting to run aspect. As I was huffing and puffing along the Shawnee Marathon course earlier today in southeastern Illinois I thought back to my first cross country meet. It was in Sikeston, Missouri. When I crossed the finish line after running/jogging/walking the course I was greeted by our head coach Stan Nelson. I had a horrible outing. My time was terrible. But what I remember most about that day was basically collapsing in coach's arms as he hugged me and congratulated me on finishing. That was the most grueling and exhausting thing I'd done in my short 14 years on this planet. Keep in mind it was about three miles.

My awesome wife and cheerleader!

Fast forward 28 years. I'd trained for this for the last couple of months. I thought of that story and how much my attitude toward running has changed in the last four or five years. I got emotional when my wife (who surprised me by going along) was at the top of one of the hills at the halfway point cheering for me as if I'd made the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl. As I looped around she was on the other said and this time we both cried as I past her and she said how proud she was of me.

When you're running that long you have a lot of time to think. I recounted another time in my cross country days that I didn't really want to participate in a long run for practice. I think the plan was 10 miles or so. About two miles into the run I stopped and found a big stick on the side of the road. I proceeded to whack my ankle with it hard enough to cause a little pain and make me limp back to coach and explain I'd twisted it and needed to go home. Looking back I think that's one of the silliest things I've ever done.

Finished!
4:35:55 (not sure on the seconds)

I look at my adult running career as a chance to make up for the mistakes and shortcuts I took as a teenager. We all do foolish things at that age and as I carry on through this midlife crisis of running (it's cheaper than a fancy sports car) I'm reminded by how many people support me. The texts, tweets and Facebook posts brought more tears this afternoon. I'm so thankful so many have been behind me and don't think I'm being too braggadocious with my updates, pics and videos about running.

Me and "coach" Ashley

Finally, some personal thanks. Of course my awesome wife Lisa for being understanding of this semi-new facet of my life and for coming out and supporting me through my first marathon. She was out there for hours to cheer for me in 20 second increments. I can't explain how loved I felt. To my parents for buying me various pairs of running shoes over the last few years. Ashley Smith, my friend and coworker, who has given me so much advice about running in the past and this week has offered a ton of tips on surviving the marathon. My friends in the Yellow Donkeys, especially Jim Olsen for the advice on the band-aids for my nipples. They worked great! To Rebecca Wyatt, the race organizer, for coming up with an amazing idea and course and the many volunteers who helped along the way before, during and after the marathon. And finally all of you for the above mentioned support. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

Marathon by the numbers:

26.2: number of miles run

2: number of nasty blisters on my feet

4: number of packets of Gu I ate along the way

52: number of ounces of soda my wife bought for me after the race

4:35:55: number of hours, minutes and seconds it took me to finish

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Mother Nature Beat Me to the Finish Line

After the relay with a rainbow behind

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

About two weeks before the annual River to River Relay here in southern Illinois, I was asked to be a substitute on two different teams. I'd never done the race before, but was excited about the opportunity. The River to River is an 80 mile relay race that extends from the Mississippi River in Wolf Lake, Illinois to the Ohio River in Golconda, Illinois. There are 24 legs of the relay, so each runner has three legs to complete. Runners from around the country compete.

Running with the baton
Yes I took pics and video as I ran

The race starts early, so my team met at 4:30 a.m. to travel about an hour to the start line. Runner one takes off and the rest of the team gets in a van and drops off runner two at the exchange and picks up runner one. The process continues throughout the day. I was an alternate for my team, so I was only running two portions of the relay as runner number eight.

My first run was at about 9:30 a.m. By then the misting rain and cooler temperatures were leaving and it was starting to warm up. I huffed and puffed my way up at least two intense hills. I don't even remember if there were more than that. I don't do a lot of hill training and since I hadn't planned to run the race this year I wasn't as prepared as I could have been. My portion on that first leg was right around 3.6 miles. My time wasn't horrible (for me), with a pace of 8:49 per mile.

Our captain in action

Then it was time to relax for a while, as I wouldn't run again until the very end. I sat in the van with other teammates as we joked and laughed and shared stories. With the exception of one of them, I'd never really met my team before Saturday. I had a good time as we would get out and cheer for our team at each exchange.

My favorite van of the day

The other fun thing about the relay is seeing my other friends who have become runners. I'd have a chance to chat before climbing back in the van and driving to the next stop. Because I was drinking so much water too, hitting the port-a-potty each time was almost a necessity. Some stops even had folks at them with homemade treats and water for the runners. That was pretty awesome.

What the hail?!?
Taken safely from inside the van

All day the threat of severe weather loomed. As we arrived at exchange 21, our number five guy got out (without his beloved poncho) and waited for number for to pass the baton. Moments after he had it in his hand, the skies opened up and a torrential rain followed. He was soaked as he handed off to runner number six. Then Mother Nature took it a step further, with two rounds of pounding hail. Our guy bravely moved on and handed off to runner seven. That's when things got even worse. Lightning filled the sky, but our runner carried on. Our captain joined him too. The two ran for a while before wisely deciding safety was more important and climbed back into the van.

It was up to me to decide if I wanted to finish the race. According to the rules, I could continue the rest of 23 and finish up at Golconda. I'd talked with Ashley Smith, the meteorologist at the TV station where I work. She'd also just completed the race (her team won first in their division). She said the lightning would pass soon, so I decided I'd wait a few minutes and continue. Little did we know race officials had already called the relay. I made my way up a small incline with a lit rain hitting me along the way. For the record, I hate being wet, but my pride took over as I wanted to finish this race.

When I got to the exchange where I was supposed to officially start running, a friend of mine was walking to his van and said they'd closed the course. I continued up the road where a sheriff's deputy was blocking the rest of the course. Disappointed, I got back into the van with our captain who had joined me to confirm the news. We drove into Golconda and got out together and ran the short distance to the finish line to claim our tee shirts and get something to eat. We capped things off with a picture at the Ohio River and a faint rainbow behind us.

After the rain

I am disappointed I didn't get to officially finish the race, but I applaud the tough decision made by race officials. Not only did they have to think of the safety of the runners (many were still behind us on the course), but also the hundreds of volunteers and the law enforcement along the way. I was told this is the first time in the event's 28 year history that they've had to cancel. I'm going to assume I'm not bad luck and hopefully get a crack at it again next year.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The Nerd Behind Nerd Shirt Thursday

Nerd Shirt Thursday

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

This is a long overdue entry, as we've been doing Nerd Shirt Thursday at my work for about six months now. It's a concept (now former) News 3 This Morning producer Weston "Dub Dub" White came up with. The premise is simple. Each Thursday coworkers are encouraged to wear a "nerd" shirt to work. Because I can't wear tshirts on the air, I always wear mine under my shirt and tie. After the show each week, we take a pic to share with the world.

Weston as Capt. America

So what's a nerd shirt? Pretty much anything with a comic book character, movie, or pop culture reference. The rules aren't too strict, but the nerdier the better, especially if you can accessorize. It's something that has gained momentum in the newsroom and my Facebook friends wait each week to see who will be featured on our chests next. As I mentioned Weston came up with the idea and we've carried it out in the weeks since his departure from WSIL. I'm going to use the rest of this blog to talk more about my friend.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 2011

I met Weston when he joined News 3 This Morning in July 2010. It didn't take long to become friends, especially after he professed his love for wrestling and The Simpsons. He came into the job already "getting it." He's a natural writer and understands the facets involved in putting together a newscast. I remember my coanchor Emily Eddington and I came up with a list of things to help ease him into the position, but we never even gave it to him. He already understood what to do, and this was his first TV gig.

Wrasslin'

I literally laughed every day that Weston was at work. Many times it was a loud belly laugh that produced tears. Sometimes this happened on the air, depending on what he was saying in our ear pieces. Of course when the work was done, there was always a little time for horseplay. As I mentioned, he too is a wrestling fan and more than once I found myself getting picked up and flung around the room. I'd be interested to see if there are any other producer/anchor combos like this in newsrooms across America.

The Shopping Ninja

It wasn't just behind the scenes that we had the fun. Weston brought new ideas that made for great television as well. In 2011 he found someone willing to come in and instruct Emily on how to zap me with a taser live on the air. It's still one of the most memorable moments of my career. He's dressed like "The Shopping Ninja" in preparation for Black Friday and was the brain child behind "The Morning News Anchor Challenge", a good concept, but unfortunately ended up getting shelved after three days.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

He created a cartoon character named Humphrey, started doing "Wrestling Banana Art", and even dressed like me for Halloween one year. Weston is a unique guy, an outstanding producer, and even better friend. This blog merely scratches the surface. You can see from the pics, that we always had a good time. I miss him, but I know he's doing well in the next chapter of his life. Thanks for the memories Dub Dub.

Friday, January 17, 2014

WSIL: My 10 Years in Pictures

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

January 19, 2014 marks my 10 year anniversary at my job WSIL TV in Carterville, Illinois. It has been a blast, and I'm working on an actual blog that I will post Sunday. I wanted to share some photo memories of the last 10 years. Unfortunately many of the early days weren't captured on camera, as smart phones and social media weren't around. Thanks to all for the support.