John Dick Memorial 50k

Bells at 4am on this particular Saturday morning.  Race morning is like Christmas morning.  It’s NOT like getting up for work.  Race morning is full of excitement and anticipation.  Race mornings give you a reason to jump out of bed!

I had everything packed the night b/f.  Ate my usual pre-race breakfast, tortillas, peanut butter, honey and bananas.  Thought about coffee.  Wanted coffee.  But you know what coffee does to you later on during the race.  You know.  So I passed on the coffee.

I had everything packed in my over-sized hiking rucksack so I could just run down to the store where I was to meet Chris and Jessica.  I clicked on my headlamp and wondered / What’s an extra mile and a half b/f running a 50k?

We loaded up Chris’s car and we were off.  Neither of them were planning on running the full 50k.  They were along for the ride and the experience.  They planned to run a few laps and enjoy the day.  The race was only $15, so even if they didn’t finish, they weren’t losing much.  Jessica planned on shooting some photos.  Either way, it sounded like a fun day.

I don’t have much nervousness leading up to a race.  I got over all of that while fighting MMA.  Stripping down to a pair of shorts and getting locked in a cage w/ another well trained man to try and kill each other w/ gloves on for 15 minutes, w/ a ref.  Now THAT will wake you up.  A 50K?  No worries.  Just show up and run hard.  No pressure.  A long meditation session.  Easy.

The course is an out and back and then a loop.  Five times.  This breaks the whole thing down for me.  It’s all a mental game anyway.  And this just makes it easy.  It’s not as pretty or as scenic as I would have liked, seeing the same things over and over again.  But it’s broken down into small sections, which makes 31 miles seem more manageable.  You’re just running to the next spot which is never more than 2 or 3 miles away.  And anyone can do that.

The course is all ice.  I had brought a pair of shoes w/ spikes and w/out.  I’m glad I wore the spikes b/c this course would have been unmanageable w/out.  This slowed the race down some.  But it could be worse.  As the day wore on, a lot of this ice turned into mud, mucking the course up pretty good.  You start the race in the middle of the pack and begin picking people off.  The first two loops are a warm up.  The third, you begin to wake up.  The fourth you really hammer it.  At times you can’t believe how hard you’re hitting the little descents.  Your legs are really aching but you just pound down the hills w/ fury.  On the fifth lap, you are a little low on salt and electrolytes but you know you are almost done so you’re able to keep up the pace.  You know you aren’t in the lead.  Maybe the top ten.  The winner was just incredible and on a different planet than you.  His name is Zack and he was coming in off a 106 mile week.  This was just an easy 30 for him.  He is a middle school teacher that regularly pulls in 170 mile weeks, doing two a days.  You can see the freedom and the beauty of the long runs on his face.  Serene and peaceful.  He wore the win like a training run.  He gave him the same amount of satisfaction.  He was the Zen lunatic of the trails that day. 

I really love the small, local ultras.  Many familiar faces.  Many of my hero’s that influenced me SO much a few years back.  Many I’ve run w/.  Many I’ve only talked to online about running and various ultras.  It always feels good to meet up and run against each other.  Test each other out.  Some of these guys kill me on the shorter races.  And then I’m able to toot my horn a bit on some of the longer races.  It’s all good fun.  These are my trail brothers and sisters and I wouldn’t change them for anything. 

Whenever I race the Kettles, one of my favorite places to stop afterward is the LaGrange County Store.  You can get a meal and a beer or a coffee for a fair price and the ambience is great.  Just a laid back place for runners, hikers, campers and bikers to sit down and take a break.  I don’t know that I’ve ever been in the store w/out my legs hurting but relieved to be done for the day.  One of the best feelings there is.  The endorphin rush.  The sense of calm.  The sense of peace.  The sense of / I’ve done it.  I’ve come back and done it again.  Today is a good day…

1/28/12

I guess it’s safe to say I’m back in full on training mode.  My mileage and workouts have been pretty steady but just w/in the last week have I been beginning to feel mentally stronger.  My weekly mileage hasn’t been triple digits too many times but I think I’m being much smarter about it all.  I cross train w/ the bike, weights, swimming.  I mix it up from week to week to try to trick the legs.  One week, I’ll really try to destroy the legs w/ hills.  Then I’ll back off and bike for the majority of the next week.  Then I’ll do a hundo mile week.  Then I’ll give the legs a break and focus on some upper body or core workouts.  I feel that cross training is what helped me out last year.  That seems to be what my body responds best to.  All of this is after a significant cut back in workouts and mileage at the end of last year and the beginning of this.  I took some time off and then slowly started incorporating workouts when I felt like it.  And now things are coming together nicely and I’m really looking forward to exercising everyday.  It’s really important to add in that mental break to your training every so often.  All of our needs vary widely but I know when burnout is around the corner.  That’s when I back off. 

I’ll be switching jobs in the very near future and I have arranged it so that I will be able to fit in more training.  I will have more free time and it’s much easier to run to this job than my previous job.  There’s a treadmill and a shower to which I can use at my disposal at any time I please.  AND I get a week and a half off in between jobs.  And if you know me, you know I’m just going to live like a hermit and train like a wild man.  It’ll be a big week for sure and I can’t wait. 

And last but not least, I am officially signed up for the McNaughton trail 100 mile run in about seventy-eight days.  I feel like I’ve been training well but just the act of signing up will light a fire under you and make you put in a few extra miles at night.  I did the fifty there last year and it nearly destroyed my legs.  I couldn’t walk down stairs for days.  This year, it will be my first 100.  I’m also training for Leadville in August.  Those will be the two A races for the year.  I’m doing two 50k events in February and one in March.  All of these will have big runs (20ish miles) the day after in preparation for the bigger events.  I’m looking at 8-9 ultra events this year and I would like to do well and not be burnt out at the end of the season.  It’s a fine line.  I know I say it every year but this is going to be my biggest year.  Every year, I’m just trying to blow it up bigger than I ever have.  I have nothing to lose.  I’ve gotten rid of all the people in my life that tried slowing me down.  If you don’t support me and my goals, you’re out.  I don’t have time.  These are the things that I’m passionate about at this point in my Life and I’m trying to show others how to explore their passions, even when and especially if it means losing sleep, losing girlfriends or sleeping on a park bench to get it done. 

If there’s something you want to do in this Life, do it. 

DO IT.  

If you don’t like your job, quit it and find a new one. 

What’s stopping you but yourself?  

Now if you’ll excuse me...I’m off for a run...

year end...

It’s 2012!  Let’s see, how did 2011 go?

Swam 24 miles.

Biked over 2068 miles.

Ran 1632 miles.

Hours spent working out 451.

I only completed 7 events this year.  Last year I had that doubled.  However the events were bigger this year, focusing more on quality distance.  I did two 50 milers.  One 100k.  A half iron and a full iron.  I ran my age on my birthday and spent NYE running a 50k.  It was about a good a year as I could have hoped for, working two jobs and having little to no time.  I even managed to place in a couple of my events.  And one of the greatest moments of the year was winning the Dances with Dirt 50 mile run.  I exceeded my goals for the year and it was magical.

The only thing I’m officially signed up for at this point is the Leadville 100.  I plan to do at least two 100 mile runs this year.  With a couple of 50k’s, 50 milers and 100k’s thrown in there.  I hope to do my first ultra cycling event.  I hope to be healthier.  I hope to drink more.  I hope to say yes more.  I hope to make new friends.  I hope to inspire.  I hope to live my life w/ the volume turned all the way up.   I hope to burn the candle from both ends.  I hope to run mountains.  I hope to become a superhero.  I hope to strip my life down to the bare essentials.  I hope to not compromise myself or my goals for anyone else. I hope for a lot.  So here’s to hoping.  I hope…

off season

it's difficult to adjust to the off season.  i went through a small bout of depression when i no longer had anything to train towards.  i was bored and restless.  but it didn't last too long.  Life moves on.  people, ideas and goals come and go from your Life.  the running shoe store that i work for and myself have started a Saturday morning trail run.  it's a laid back run.  not too far.  not too fast.  just a time to get out and run w/ the dogs and get off the streets.  we've had a good turn out so far and people seem to be enjoying themselves.  i've done a couple of 10k events and pushed myself as hard as i could.  i've managed a few long training runs and Cody and i have been giving ourselves some "challenges" to stay motivated throughout the winter.  last week we both ran a hundred miles.  yesterday, we each respectively did a thousand push ups.  it took all day and we are both destroyed today.  but mostly the off season has brought me just a little more time.  time is very valuable to me b/c we only have so much of it.  this is something that's on my mind a lot.  i try to live in the moment and take advantage of every moment possible and never waste time.  you never know when you're going to be walking down the street and fall down the manhole or fall over and crack your head and be paralyzed for the rest of your Life.  so kick ass now.  do things now.  don't put them off.  tell people how you feel.  do the things you're scared of.  paint a picture.  write a book.  go talk w/ someone you haven't spoken to in a long time.  make new friends.  get outside.  take big risks.  live your Life on level 12!  DO BIG THINGS SON.

Rockport Trail 10k

woke up this morning feeling about as ready as ever for a 10k effort.  i have to admit...i was a little more nervous for this one than i usually am for most ultra distances.  i felt like people were expecting me to win this one, mostly b/c it's a shorter distance event.  but speed is not my forte.  i'm better at just putting my head down and going long distances all day long.  but i was looking forward to a 10k for a change.  my year is winding down and i've mainly been running stress free w/ friends lately.  not really training for anything.  it's been nice.  i enjoy this time of year.  there's much more time to focus on other things, like home projects and hanging out w/ friends that i'm normally too busy to hang w/.  since the race is only a mile and a half away from my house...i ran there.  i took off this morning thinking to myself / just run to have fun.  who cares?!
i run these trails all the time.  this is where i've spent countless hours w/ my dog, running, sweating, bleeding our hearts out week after week.  i love these trails and i love coming out to support the "smaller" local events, if my schedule allows it.  so when the air-horn went off this morning, this race was no different from any other race for me.  there were about six people ahead of me and they looked fast.  right off the bat i'm thinkin / there's no way i can beat these guys / but i slowly start picking people off as the miles tick by.  by mile three i was by myself in the woods.  i could hear someone behind me and it didn't sound like he was breathing very hard.  shortly after, he passed me.  and it was evident that he had a full tank and was feeling good today.  he slowly pulled ahead and i just didn't have it in me to keep up.  congrats to him though.  he is a fast man that wins many of the local races around here. 
so i put my head down and fell into a comfortable pace and just did my thing.  i missed a turn at some point and ended up running seven point something miles.  no big deal.  it was still a really fun morning.  i fell once and i rolled an ankle once.  so...it was officially a trail run!  my official time was 45:55.  stuck around and talked w/ friends for a while afterwards.  won a dehydrator!  then ran home.  when i got home, i think Roxy could smell where i'd been and was jealous.  she gave me a little attitude so i had to take her to the dog park :)