Category: Hiking/Running/Caving

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: April 26, 2023

We hiked this trail in the 700-acre Glen Helen Nature Preserve which has 20 miles of trails. It is the largest private nature preserve in the area and was named a National Natural Landmark in 1965. The 1.3-mile trail descended stone steps to a wooden boardwalk that crossed Yellow Springs Creek. A large beaver dam was just off the boardwalk. The unique creek looked like an elevated, shallow swamp or backwater. A little way up the trail on the right was Pompey’s Pillar, a dark rock projecting up out of the forest. Farther along we passed a wooden bridge over the creek opposite a small cave. The trail turned right and ascended a ridge. Rosie posed by The Yellow Springs, a small spring that looked yellow in color. Farther up the ridge on the right was a small Hopewell Indian Mound. On the other side of the ridge, we saw Birch Creek below and descended a slope to see The Cascades, a small but beautiful waterfall. A wooden bridge crossed the waterfall and creek where from above you could see that the waterfall carved a large travertine bowl around its pool. Lots of plants and colorful wildflowers grew along the trail. We followed the trail back around to our starting point.

Running Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009

Beginning in 1997, the United States Air Force annually holds a marathon and half marathon in September. The course begins and ends at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The course takes runners throughout the base and through Fairborn. The first and third year I was part of a four-person 26.2-mile relay team. In 1997, I ran the 8.2-mile leg along for a team consisting of Tom Spence, a blind runner and a lady recovering from a heart attack. In 1999, I ran the 5.1-mile leg as part of the Moraine Police Division team. In 2004, our four-person team was me, Rosie, neighbor Becky Weinel and someone else. I have run the 13.1-mile half marathon three times. I always tried to break two hours and it is always exciting to finish the race as you run the last 100 yards with vintage or WWII airplanes on each side of you down a narrow chute to the finish line. Several years stealth bombers would fly overhead to begin the race. Volunteers and AF staff would man the water stations. One year at the three-mile water station, several volunteers were wearing alien masks and costumes to poke fun at the Hanger 18 UFO legend.

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: April 10, 2023

We hiked 8.3 miles on this beautiful spring day, mostly on the Orange Trail but 1.4 miles of the hike was on the Green Trail which we had never hiked before. It was a great find. We saw a colorful turtle and two small, picturesque ponds. A half mile later, going off trail, discovered one small, beautiful waterfall.  

Running Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: 1989 – 2004

This 5K running race was a Memorial Day morning tradition for Rosie and me. Beginning at the University of Dayton Arena parking lot, we ran across the Stewart Street Bridge over the Great Miami River, down Patterson Blvd, around Carillon Bells and through Carillon Park. We then ran back out onto Patterson and back around to Welcome Stadium where we ran one quarter mile lap on the outdoor track to the finish line. Usually about 500 runners participated. We ran this race nine different years.

Running Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: 1990

This was the only time I ran faster than my wife in a 5K race. I ran a 21 minute 10 second 5K. Rosie was an elite runner and always finished in the top five women overall in every race or first or second in her age group. So today was divine intervention, or perhaps it was the pint of Jack Daniels I drank before the race. She went out extremely fast with a 6 minute 30 second first mile and was a little tuckered out by that last mile. On a downhill road about a half mile from the finish line I smacked her on the rear end as I passed her up. I had great energy and kept up my speed to beat her by about 50 yards.  Lucky for me a friend who wasn’t running that day took photos of me before and during the race to document this incredible upset victory.

Running Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: August 18, 1986

We ran this race several times, the last time with three other couples that we played racquetball with. Sponsored by the Cincinnati Reds, we began the race outside of the baseball stadium. We ran through the downtown streets of Cincinnati, entered the stadium from right field and ran a half lap around the ballfield to the finish line. That was cool finishing and looking up into the stands. About 1,500 runners participated. Each runner received a free ticket to the Reds baseball game which started about two hours after the race. The downside was that it was a hot day, and we were quite sweaty and sticky sitting in our seats throughout the game. Still a great experience.

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Debbie Miller

Date: July 30, 2022

We parked at the canoe launch where we put in our four canoes and begun many kayak trips south on the Little Miami River to Bellbrook. At this site we began hiking the River Loop Trail which ran parallel to the river for 2.4-miles before looping back. The shaded trail was flat, sometimes tight with overgrown trees and bushes. We saw lots of squirrels. We connected with the 1.1-mile Big Woods Loop Trail which took us out of the trees and into a meadow. We then connected with the .7-mile Sugar Bush Loop Trail and on the way back we branched off and ascended up onto the .8-mile Vista Loop Trail. Someone had put sunglasses on a tree which made it look like a face. When finished we had hiked just over five miles.

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: March 1, 2023

It was 72 degrees on this rare warm, beautiful Ohio winter day so we drove to the Caesars Creek State Park Visitor Center at the southwest corner of the park. We hiked north along the 14.2-mile perimeter loop trail often catching beautiful glimpses through the trees of Caesars Creek Lake.  We hiked 2.9 miles to the day lodge and then 2.9 miles back. The moderately challenging rolling trail took us up and down tree covered hillsides and rises.

Running Team: Dave Miller, Holly Miller, Justin Eller

Date: October 22, 2016

At Moraine’s Zombie Fest, we ran a 3-mile course both on paved streets, through the Moraine Airpark, on the bike trail and on the river levee. To add to the excitement, we had flags attached to our waists. Zombies would appear and chase after us trying to get our flags. If they got our flags, we would be contaminated. We all won our age groups. In addition, Dave won the top Moraine male runner award and Holly won the top Moraine female runner award. This was Justin’s first 5K medal ever that he won.

Running Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987

We started offering the Moraine Triathlon through the Moraine Parks and Recreation in 1981 and it continued for almost 15 years. The race was a half mile swim, ten-mile bike ride and three-mile run. Rosie participated in this event four times before she had to stop due to giving birth to four kids in five years. Her best finish was second overall woman in 1987 and she placed in her age group the other three triathlons. Although I helped administer the event every year, I did get the opportunity to participate once in 1983. I was well trained to run and bike the distance, but I never practiced swimming laps. The half mile swim was a struggle and halfway through my arms were tired doing the freestyle stroke, so I did the backstroke and dogpaddles a few times which really slowed me down. It made the aquatic staff and lap counters laugh. Once out of the water I cruised through biking and running.