3-29-13

92.

Work 11.5 hours. 

Gym.

Run 1 mile, weights and core.

Swim 1000 yards, sauna.

93.

You wake up and made a little breakfast.  You leash up Roxy and head out to look for about 20-25 miles.  This is in preparation for a 50k that you plan to run in a month.  Most of that race is pretty runable and even though you want to just bag peaks all day, you choose a route that’s a bit more manageable.  You choose to run the Mesa Trail from your apartment.  The Mesa trail is about 13 miles back and forth.  You live about 5 miles from the trailhead.  It’s a beautiful day.  Warm enough for shorts and a t shirt.  It’s a 4 hr 15 min run when all was said and done.  You have wet muddy feet for most of the day.  Roxy is in mud heaven.  And you end up w/ 2010 ft of vert gain.  And you end up w/ just shy of 22 miles.  You fueled w/ :

2 Pocket Fuels

2 Baby food (the kind you can just eat like a gel)

1 Gu

2 liters of water

In the PM you go to dinner w/ a couple of friends.  You can’t stop eating.  The three of you watch the movie version of On the Road.  You’d been wanting to see it.  That book changed your Life.  That was the first book that opened your eyes to the fact that you can just write about whatever you want in whatever words you want.  You can make up your own language and talk about all the things that people are scared to say.  When you found out that books like that existed, you searched for more books like that and that journey has been ongoing ever since.  Kerouac led you to so many other authors.  Kerouac is still one of your favorites and The Sunterraneans and The Dharma Bums are a couple of your all time favorite books.  You can’t imagine your Life w/out discovering those books. 

94.

Today is an easy day at the gym.  You are saving yourself for tomorrow.  Today, you did a lot of abs and core work, rows, pull ups and tricep kickbacks and pushdowns.  Then you go out to a little Irish bar to meet some friends.  You don’t have a drop.  You’re saving yourself for tomorrow…

95.

Up at 3:30 am.  You go home, pack a bag for a day of work and leave the apartment by 4:30 am.  You get the feeling B #2 is getting tired of taking care of Roxy.  You are either always working, or at JMP’s and there’s no dogs allowed there.  You head to work and drive in the mountains for 10.5 hours.  You see lots of elk and gray fox.  At about 10 am the cryptic and angry text messages begin.  What would Buddha do?  Or Jesus?  Or the Dali Lama? 

You go for a 7 mile run w/ Roxy right after you get home.  When you get back from your run is the time that the neighbors are usually all outside w/ their dogs.  B #2 is always w/ them.  Afterwards, they either drink all night or they don’t.  Tonight, they’re already drinking.  You can feel the vibe.  He’s been talking about you.  They are all looking at you.  But you are feeling so good after the run, you won’t let them get you down. 

Hey! / you yell at them, beaming ear to ear. 

They stand there.  Heads low.  Hands in pockets.  Looking at you like you’re an alien. 

What a nice evening! / you yell and head straight upstairs.  You imagine they’re laughing at your Hokas.  You imagine they’re laughing at your running tights.  No matter.  Kill them w/ kindness.  Kill them w/ kindness…

He wants you to buy dog food, you buy the dog food.  He wants light bulbs, you buy him light bulbs.  He wants the $20 you owe him from god knows what, you pay him w/ a smile.  You do everything he is trying to bully you to do and do it immediately and w/ kindness.  You buy him a 12 pack of his favorite beer and put it in the fridge w/out saying anything.  You want to be kindness and love, not knee jerk reactions and anger.  This is just a test.  You want people to look at you and see love.  You may be a long way away from that, but that is the goal.  You are manifesting God and love into your Life on a daily basis.  So when someone texts you or says something nasty and is just looking for a response, either don’t respond or respond w/ love.  You have to.  You feel it inside.  You know you are supposed to be the example for everyone else to see.  You are the alien.  You are the missionary…

You go to the gym.  When you are 25 minutes into your bike ride, you get the text:

Hey bro, I really appreciate the beer and everything you did today.  I hope you’re not mad at me or something.  We’re downstairs drinking if you want to chill man.  Or let me know if I pissed you off.  Have a good one

So you feel like you won the battle.  Somehow.  Not that any of it matters.  But if feels like you are headed in the right direction…

96.

Monday. 

Your Achilles is a little sore at work. You wear your compression socks and don’t sweat it.  You know you’ll roll out and ice after work and you have the confidence that this injury is finally on the downslope. 

By the time you’re done w/ work it feels good and you head to the gym for an easy workout.  3 miles on the tready, stretch, roll, sauna while massaging leg. 

97.

One hour drive.

You fit people for running shoes, give running advice, congratulate on races, wish luck on upcoming races, tell a few of your own stories for six hours. 

Run 7 / 7:00 min. miles w/ Danny after work.  He’s a fast little sucker.  While you are running he asks:

Have you ever eaten at Larkburger?

Yeah.

Wanna go to Larkburger after we run?

You thought about it but just weren’t that hungry.

Na, I’ll pass this time man.  Maybe next time. 

After the run, you go to Barnes and Nobel to change out of wet running clothes and get a hot tea to warm yourself up.  Suddenly you got these crazy hunger pains out of nowhere.  You were starving. 

I’m going to Larkburger / you tell yourself. 

Then you drive the hour home.  You love coming over the hill and seeing Boulder shimmering in the distance at night.  It feels like home now.  It feels like a hug.  It feels more welcoming than any other place you’ve ever been b/f. 

Later on you watch This is 40 w/ B #2 while foam rolling, stretching and icing.  Pretty funny movie…

98.

Starting to feel better.  Have a snow day and don’t feel good enough to head out to the mountains w/ the snowshoes like you wished you did.  But you feel good enough to get to the gym and do 4 on the elliptical and 1 on the mill.  After that you do your push ups and squats and then foam roll the legs.  Come home and do 125 decline push ups, 125 squats, 250 crunches and 5 minutes worth of wall sits. 

99.

Sick.  Sick of being sick.  Worked 12 hours today.  Going to bed at 8 pm so I can make it to work tomorrow.  No run today. 

100.

100 days out from Western States 100.  This is where it gets real. 

You’re still sick but you forced yourself out the door today for a little run.  2.83 miles.  It felt good to get outside.  Forced the 50 push ups and 50 squats.  Foam and rumble rolled.  You were sick through your whole weekend.  Wiped right off the map.  Tomorrow is Friday but it’s your Monday. 

Training is going well, other than being sick.  You rested most of today.  Watched the movie The Master and LOVED it.  It was dark on SO many levels.  Tonight you are going out to see The Pines at a club called E-Town. 

running shorts as underwear...and Moab...

101.

Sick.  Head cold.  Both JMP and Brian #2 have had it.   You get yourself enough food and medicine for a day and don’t go too far from home.  After about a gallon of green tea, you force yourself out the door for an easy mile.  You force out the 50 push ups and 50 squats.  You force yourself to foam roll, rumble roll and ice the Achilles.  You spend the rest of the day reading Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse.  One of your new favorite books. 

102.

Up at 3:45am.

Work for 11.5 hours. 

Run 3 miles on the Alderfer/Three Sisters trail while you are out in Evergreen.

You pretty much wear your running shorts for underwear at work these days.  That way you can shed the pants and take off on a little run whenever you want.  Nothing feels better, especially in the springtime.    

When you get home, it’s time to admit the inevitable.  You’re sick.  You’re run down.  You can barely stay awake.  You go to bed.

103.

Monday.  You are still high from the weekend.  Nothing is unpacked.  Your running and camping gear is in a pile in your bedroom, still smelling like a campfire.  Today you are in Denver.  Working.  Driving.  Delivering.  When you get home, you unpack and do laundry.  Run a 3 mile recovery run.  Do some push ups and squats.  Legs a little tired.  Bed.

104.

Sore.

Pack up.

Coffee shop.

Ice cream shop.

Book shop.

Walk Roxy.

Drive.

Drive through canyons.

Through desert.

Through mountains.

Into a snowstorm.

A blizzard.

High up on a mountain pass.

And out the other end.

Into Boulder.

Where it’s St. Patty’s day.

And Brian #2 is celebrating.

And he hugs you

And says

I’m glad to be living w/ someone who’s Irish.

105.

They bus you 13 miles out of town.  You wait around in the cold for the gun to go off.  When it does, you follow JMP.  She’s running 8:00 min / miles, dodging and weaving in and out of people.  You keep up.  You decided to run w/ her for the first half and see how things go.  The course is breathtaking.  Ten story canyon walls to the left and the Colorado River to your right.  The downhill course gives you ample opportunity to really push, if you want to.  You don’t start pushing until the second half.  You tell JMP you’ll see her at the finish and take off, gradually increasing the pace. 

THANK YOU GOD! / you scream, happy your Achilles isn’t feeling too bad.  You are slowly gaining confidence.  You pick the pace up.  You take a gel.  You pick the pace up.  You push the last few miles.  You feel absolutely fantastic.  A real jolt to the system.  You now know where your body is at the beginning of the season.  You weren’t really sure, an hour and a half ago.  Now, the questions are answered and you like the answers you’ve received.  Exactly ten minutes later, JMP crosses the finish line, exultant and tired.  You help each other.  You congratulate each other.  You hold each other.  You spend the rest of the day eating, drinking, relaxing on very high rocks, listening to the wind blow and watching the sun set.  It’s the perfect day.  You are both as happy as you can be.  And that’s a lot…

106.

Coffee and breakfast w/ JMP and Martin and Gherda.  Exchange email addresses and pack up.  You head to Arches National Park and run / hike the arches trail.  The arches are beautiful but littered w/ lots of tourists.  You head into town for a lunch and a beer.  While there, you try to find a dog sitter for tomorrow morning while you are both running the half marathon.  No luck.  You are getting stressed about it.  You may not be able to run, even though you already paid the $80 entry fee.  You aren’t comfortable leaving her in a hot car or tied to a tree for the few hours it will take to bus you to the start, run the race and get back to the car.  You tell yourself not to worry.  You tell yourself not to stress.  You tell yourself it will work itself out.  And it does.  You stop for ice and firewood and ask someone if they know anyone who could watch your dog during the race tomorrow.  They promptly volunteer and say you can leave Roxy tied to a tree in their front yard w/ a bowl of water.  They will keep an eye on her.  And just like that, there it is.  The less you worry, the more things will open up for you.  Baboom. 

You and JMP and Roxy spend the rest of the evening around camp.  You have a little fire.  You eat.  You drink water.  You anxiously await running 13.1 miles through the canyons in the morning.  

107.

Alarm at 5am.  You are in the car and driving by 6am. 

You sure do learn a lot about someone one a 6.5 hour road trip.  In fact, you decide, riding in a car w/ someone for a long amount of time is nearly your favorite way to communicate.  Right next to running or hiking an excruciatingly long distance through w/ someone in the mountains…

You and JMP set up camp in the Canyonlands National Park.  Once camp is secure, you head out to find some trails to run.  You both decide on the Wilhite Trail.  It’s a 6.1 mile trail w/ 1,600 ft of elevation change.  It didn’t take long to discover the trails in Utah are not like the trails in Colorado.  In fact, if there were no cairns, you wouldn’t no there was a trail there at all.  This takes a period of adjustment and deciding whether or not this trail is even runable.  You press on and run down deep into a canyon.  It takes over an hour to get to the bottom.  You are met w/ spectacular views.  Views of things you didn’t know lay untouched in this country.  Beautiful, vast and dry land as far as the eye can see.  In some sections the earth has parted and opened up, making canyons, sometimes flowing w/ rivers or dry creek beds at the bottom.  In other sections, there are canyon walls towering a good 20 stories up.  It’s too much to take in.  You look around and it’s sensory overload.  It would take days, weeks to be able to see and fully appreciate everything that lay b/f you…

The run takes well over two hours.  When you arrive back at camp, you see someone else had reserved the same campsite.  The campsite you had already set up at.  Shortly after, a van pulls up and two people w/ Dutch accents ask you what you are doing there. 

Our mistake / you both apologize.  JMP looks around the campsite for vacant sites while you make small talk.  There are no sites. 

I don’t suppose you’d be willing to share a site? / you ask them.

The man screws up his face.  The woman isn’t entirely opposed. 

You promise them you’ll leave them alone, they can eat or drink whatever they need from your dinner.  B/f long, you are all friends.  His name is Martin and her name is Gherda.  They are touring the country for the third time.  They have toured many different parts of the world and their English is fantastic.  They offer you dinner and the four of you have a nice night by the fire b/f retiring to your separate sleeping quarters.  You purposely left the rain fly off the tent and as you fall asleep and wake up several times during the night, you can see a million stars, shining and shimmering just for you…

108.

Your first day of vacation.  You get up early and make a big breakfast.  Your appetite hasn’t been the same lately but it seems to be finally coming back to you. 

You take the dogs out to Chat.  Bear Peak has been calling your name for weeks.  You’ve been looking at it from Boulder every time you go out.  The Mesa trail is all mud and the shoes are wet and caked in no time.  Dogs are muddy in minutes.  The mud turns to mud puddles.  Then thick peanut butter consistency mud.  As you start the ascent to Bear, it turns to snow.  Slippery snow that you could have used your micro spikes for.  You slog it out to the top.  The top is too dangerous for the dogs.  It’s all big boulders you have to climb over and they’ve tried and always struggled w/ the summit.  So you tie them up just below the tippy top so they can see you as you run up and take some pics.  On the run down, your feet are pretty cold.  Everyone else you see is all bundled up in boots and winter gear.  You are in running shorts and running shoes.  Feet soaked and all but still moving fast.  It feels amazing. 

You spend most of the rest of the day packing up for your trip to Moab w/ JMP.  You and her get groceries and get the car packed up so that you can leave at about 4 am.  You are both super excited.  You’ve never been to Moab and the trails are calling your name!

109.

Long day at work.  11 hours.  You snuck in a mile and a half on a trail in Evergreen just to keep the blood flowing. 

After work you go out for a nice dinner w/ JMP.  You share appetizers.

110.       

The whole world is against you today.  It was clearly a conspiracy.   All of your friends and coworkers and family and everyone you were to come in contact w/ today had a meeting and they all decided that today was definitely not going to be your day.  Depression came hard in the PM.  So what do you do?  Go to the gym:

10 miles on the elliptical. 

1 mile on the mill. 

Foam roll for 20 minutes. 

Swim 30 minutes. 

Sauna 15 minutes.

Later:

Can’t sleep.  Have to be up in 5 hours and even though you barely slept last night and you exercised for over two hours after work, you cannot sleep.  Instead, you’re reading Rumi.  Rumi says:

Abandon sleep tonight;  traverse for one night the region of the sleepless. 

Look, upon these lovers who have become distraught

And like moths have dies in union with the One Beloved.

Look upon this ship of God’s creatures

And see how it is sunk in love.

He also says:

I know truly the rule for God’s provision, and it is not in my character to run from pillar to post in vain or to suffer needlessly.  Truly whatever my daily portion is—of money, food, clothing, or of the fire of lust—if I sit quietly, it will come to me.  If I run around in search of my daily bread, the effort exhausts and demeans me.  If I am patient and stay in my place, it will come to me without pain and humiliation.  My daily bread is seeking me out and drawing me.  When it can’t draw me, it comes—just as when I can’t draw it, I go to it. 

The prophets were not concerned with fame or bread.  Their only concern was to seek God’s satisfaction, and they acquired both fame and bread.  Whoever seeks God’s satisfaction will be with the prophets in this world and the next; he will be an intimate of those unto whom God hath been gracious, of the prophets, and the sincere, and the martyrs. 

Heavy stuff for a Monday night at 11:43 pm.  You’ve got a lot on your mind tonight.  The beautiful things you’ve manifested into your Life were not exactly beautiful today.  Tomorrow, you’ll be working at least 12 hours by yourself.  You’ll have a lot of time to think…

111.

Worked 6 hours. 

After work, took the dogs out to Coot Lake and ran 4 laps.  4 laps equals exactly 5 miles.  Feeling pretty tired…

some fun i've been havin in Colorado...

Western States Training Week 1

112.

There’s not enough snow to go snowshoeing yet, so you head to the gym.  You run 7 on the treadmill and are praying the whole time for the snow to keep a comin down.  Just as you are showering up, you get the text.  The roads are bad and the snow isn’t going to stop for hours.  Take the day off!  You enjoy a leisurely morning around the apartment w/ the dogs.  Roomy is out plowing the streets of Denver.  You clean up the aftereffects of last night and practice some breathing and meditation.  You foam roll and rumble roll your legs.  The hammy issue from a few days ago is gone, thanks to the trigger point rumble roller.  It’s painful but it works. 

You take the dogs up Mount Sanitas.  It’s less than four miles but it’s almost all straight up and straight down.  The snow comes down in blankets.  You and the dogs blend right in w/ the white landscape…

You stop at a pub for lunch.  And you spend most of the rest of the day sitting in front of the fireplace w/  Herman Hesse.  You are reading Steppenwolf.  You just recently read Sidhartha and were blown away.  In fact, you read it twice…

113.

You work a long day.  You drive for 13 hours.  Your body is tired.  You decide to make it an easy day so you can do a bigger effort tomorrow.  You do your bare minimum, run a mile and do 50 push ups and 50 squats. 

That night, a couple of the neighbors come over and your roommate is cooking food.  He can cook.  The more he drinks the better his meals are.  Everyone is drinking.  You are not.  You are really looking forward to a run in the morning.  There is supposed to be a foot of snow w/in the next 24 hours or so.  So the run may be on the tready…

114.

AM

You wake up pretty late but it’s okay b/c it’s your day off.  You get dressed and put air in the tires of your road bike.  Today’s ride is going to be on an empty stomach so you grab a couple of gels.  You head out to Lyon’s which turns out to be just a beautiful ride w/ plenty of other roads to bike around out there.  You want hills, you go west.  You want flat, you go east.  You live in such a beautiful place, you constantly have to remind yourself…you live here!

Lyons is 15 miles away.  You stop at a little coffee house and purchase a green tea.  You sit in the sun and eat both gels and drink your tea.  And then you ride home, faster than you rode there. 

PM

You go to the gym. 

Leg press:

90 lbs 15x

180 lbs 12x

270 lbs 10x

360 lbs 8x twice

DB press:

45 lbs 10 x

“    “    12x

50 lbs  10x

“    “     12x

Military Press:

40 lbs 8x  four sets

Run 1 mile at 8:00 min.

Power yoga w/ Tammy.  1 hour. 

115.

Heil Ranch doesn’t allow dogs.  Neither does Hall Ranch.  So you end up taking a long drive towards Brainard Lake.  You and the dogs run up the Sourdough Trail.  There’s a lot of snow on the ground but it’s warm enough to wear shorts.  It’s only a five mile jaunt but it started at 9,000 feet of elevation and went up to 10-something.  It’s a beautiful day.  

You come home and rumble roll the piss out of your legs. 

116.

Tuesdays are LONG work days for you.  Today you are able to sneak out and run a short 2.66 miles at the Alderfer/Three Sisters Medley trail in Evergreen.  There is snow on the ground but you are able to run in shorts and a t shirt. 

After work, you do your 50 push ups and 50 squats.  After your legs are warmed up you spend time w/ the foam roller and the rumble roller.  Your right hammy has been bugging you, ever since you’ve been running again.  You ice your Achilles. 

117.

7 miles on the tready b/f work.

Work 7.5 hours.

50 push ups and 50 squats and J’s house while she is watching tv. 

118.

After work you take Roxy for a little spin around the hood.  About 3 miles, 8:00 min/miles.  Absolutely pain free!  On concrete, w/out the Hokas, w/out KT tape.  Feeling great!  So happy you could cry…

The Chinese healer really did heal your Achilles.  A ten month injury.  She said the injury stemmed from your back.  She worked you over.  One of the more painful hours of your Life.  She told you to come back slow.  You are coming back from five weeks of NO running. 

Also, 50 push ups,50 squats.

119.

AM:

Drove down past Denver and met w/ DG for a little run up Deer Creek Canyon b/f work.  6 miles total.  3 up, 3 down.  39 min up and 33 down. 

Work 8 hours.  Roxy got to come to work w/ you today.  She ran around and greeted customers for a while.  She did great!

PM:

200 push ups

8 min worth of wall sits

800 sit ups or crunches

120.

120 days until Western States 100.  The base has been established.  Time to start ramping up the training.

Today you ran 1 mile.  It was a huge climb.  Not THAT huge, obviously.  But it was in the middle of your work day and a hill you’d been wanting to run for a few weeks now.  You see it every Friday when you’re down in Castle Rock.  You’re resting the legs for a short trail run tomorrow w/ D b/f work.

Also did 100 push ups, 100 body weight squats. 

For this month, you commit to running at least a little every day.  You commit to at least 50 push ups and at least 50 body weight squats.  Everyday.  That’s the minimum.

Operation Don’t Let the Universe Down Day 1 is in the can.