Saturday, February 26, 2011

birthday run

i decided to run my age in miles to celebrate my 36th birthday.  it seemed like a daunting task but i guess i've run greater distances before.  not recently, but i had.  did i really want to do this on my birthday?  isn't there easier ways to celebrate? 

Brother John met me for the first leg.  he ran the first 10 miles w/ me.  it's always good to see him and catch up w/ him.  those first 10 miles went by like water.  it was nothing.  the trail conditions were tough and ridiculous in some spots.  Roxy was also w/ us.  but Brother John is my favorite person to run w/ so it seemed like nothing. 

we finished our 10 miler at my house.  had a cup of tea to warm up and then before long Brother John was gone and it was time for me to run another ten mile leg.  i took the iPod this time and looked forward to jammin out to some tunes.  i don't usually take the tunes w/ me while in the woods but hey man...this is a celebration.  if anyone would have seen me, they would have seen a guy running through the woods on snow that he SHOULD have had snowshoes for and singing or rapping to whatever music is blasting through his headphones as his dog leads the way. 


so after 20 miles exactly, i was back at the house and had a Clif bar, a banana, a green tea and a water and made the drive to Madison.  i was to meet up w/ Kerstina who i had never run w/.  15 miles was the furthest she had ever gone so she wanted to run 16 today to PR and celebrate w/ me.  which is great.  talking w/ her also made the miles go by like they were nothing.  we ran all the way around Lake Monona which is about a 13 mile trip.  i haven't been around Lake Monona in years and never on foot.  it made for a beautiful run.  Kerstina kept up like a champ and i have a feeling she has a few marathons in her yet.  we made it back to the truck for a quick food and water break and then we squeaked out another three miles to make our 16 miles.  her watch said we were at like 18 miles for the day, mine said 15.5.  so i'm calling it 16.  it made for a great day.  big ups to Brother John and Kerstina for joining me and making the day worth while.  my favorite day this year so far!

stats:
1st leg: 10.36 miles
2:15:48
125 bpm
1109 cal burned

2nd leg: 9.60 miles
1:44:52
150 bpm
1170 cal burned

3rd leg: 15.55
2:44:52
143 bpm
2007 cal burned

oh yeah...and afterward all of that, i ate a boatload of sushi.  yes...a boatload. 

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain

I ABSOLUTELY CAN'T WAIT FOR MY BIG RUN THIS WEEKEND.  if i'm not too injured afterward, i'm sure i'll make a weekend of it.  at least i hope to. :-)  prayers and good vibes are accepted.  full report will follow...

Sunday, February 6, 2011

what matters most is how well you walk through the fire.

weekly wrap up

miles:  136
time: 9hr 49 min
workouts:7
rest days: 2

wasn't planning on the 2 rest days but sometimes my body tells me otherwise.  i work on my feet for about 45 hours a week so i'm not able to train as hard as i'd like to most days.  it's pretty much physically impossible.  if i push myself really hard one week, i'm destroyed the next week and mentally and physically beat down.  so i've been trying to stay consistent w/ adequate rest time here and there.  i felt decent about my 16 mile run yesterday topped off w/ 33 on the bike.  today i ran 9 and biked biked an easy 18 but did 400 push ups.  i felt good in the sense that it was almost pain free.  been having issues w/ plantar fasciitis which keeps me from running sometimes.  today's workout was spread out throughout the day while writing, hustling a bit and watching the game.  overall a decent week.  and always looking forward.  i pretty much have my whole year's races planned out and i'm looking forward to tearin it up...starting on March 26th--Chicago Lakefront 50k.


here's a couple of books i've been reading.  man, i can't believe Keith Richards is still alive.  i thought the same when i read Iggy's bio.  those guys have superhuman blood.  his book is a good read though and very well written.  i love to hear the old stories from the legendary guys that paved their own way. 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

for the record

my two favorite authors.  hands down.  no contest.  complete opposite writing styles in all ways possible.  probably would have hated each other and ended up in a fist fight.  still my favorites.  i don't even know who i would be if i had not stumbled upon these guys.  thank you thank you...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

winter training

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people." is a quote from the late coach Bill Bowerman.  he coached many greats including Steve Prefontaine and went on to invent Nike's first running shoe.  this is a quote that i tend to live by on rainy days.  even now, during wicked blizzard conditions...i've been trying to get outside and sneak some training in.  i still hit the indoor bike and the weights, etc.  but the real training happens outside.  over the years i've been up against it all.  i've camped outside in freezing mountains while snow falls freely from the sky.  i've gone to bed wondering if i'll make it through the night.  by choice.  after you've been through that a few times, you harden up a bit and tend to think of a blizzard as not such a big deal.  the Midwest just got pounded w/ a bunch of snow w/ drifts here and there up to eight feet tall.  i shoveled out a few driveways and have managed to still get in a few runs.  it's nothing to me but another day.  i enjoy it.  i think as a society we have become too comfortable w/ things.  we sit in our box on a big comfy sofa watching tv or glued to our computers.  we order our "food" to be delivered or at best go to a drive through.  we need instant gratification and if we can't have it we are bored.  we aren't willing to work for anything and we quit as soon as things get tough.  i've learned that i have to go through incredibly difficult things in order to become a better person.  it's just who i am.  i have to be constantly working towards a goal and training hard for something in order to be at peace w/ myself.  and there is no finish line.  i'll check my watch as i cross the finish line but not to see what my time is.  it's to see if i have enough time in the day for the next workout or the next goal.  it's a little obsessive and out there, i know.  i realize i'm a bit on the extreme side.  but that's how i find out who i am and what i'm made of.  most people will never know and never will.  it doesn't come easy for me.  it's hard work and that's why i do it.  my mind and body tell me to stop all the time but i don't and that's how i come out w/ a story to tell.  you say / but i'm not training for an ultramarathon / and i say / Life is an ultramarathon.