Leap Day Run

You figure you can only run on this day every 4 year so why the hell not, besides I was due for a back to back with a little mileage. Went 8 and felt pretty good. Legs felt a little heavy after mile 5 but chugged along anyway. Its crazy, I think I am doing so good training and getting super psyched for the race year, then I look at a few other guys and think "hmmm- am I training for a 10 k or a 100 miler?". I know I need to be patient with my training as well as my diet but some days I truly feel like I am never going to get there. My next race is Buffalo and I am really hoping to turn in a good time.
Tonight's run was a good pace for the first 5 miles but as I said earlier (remember about my legs getting heavy)forced me to level out the elevation and drop just enough so I wouldn't kill myself.
I will take tomorrow off but Sunday I need to put in at least 10 miles.
So I just want to echo the words of a true American hero-
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."- John Wayne

Still chuggin along

I missed my work out yesterday due to being trumped by family. I was super ready to go but hey, things come up. Anyway, I got back on the horse today to resume my schedule. I ran a hard 6 and will follow up with 8 tomorrow. I need to get more back to backs and some longer runs now. I feel like my legs and lungs have been responding well. The diet is still working out great and just by seeing some minimal progress has really fueled the fire that much more. Today I ran a 8:30 minute pace which is good for me. I hope to increase mileage just a bit and keep the pace. I also want to incorporate some runs with a good incline. Then I will see about pushing a few runs at a faster pace but maybe no more than 6 or so miles. By the time the Buffalo Run rolls around i want to make sure I am going in with a lot of confidence. After the race I will probably venture out for some longer runs. On March 8th, they are doing one more training run on Antelope Island and I hope to be part of that depending on Sami's soccer game.
All and all things are moving along.

I Like 8

I sure like the number 8. My good luck number. My uniform number during sports I played. A number that never stops, there is no end. A number beer companies should truly consider packing their beer in. (6 just doesn't cut it). And of course the number I ran tonight.
I am still trying to keep things in perspective. I am new, I am green, I am overweight and I am a trail rookie. I ran a solid 8 tonight with no problems. Posted a 8:30 minute mile the entire time. I felt good, I didn't feel like it was too fast or too slow. Tomorrow I will go for 6 and Thursday I will go 8 more take off on Friday and do 2 longer runs this weekend. The hell with nutra system, screw Jared (subway) and who really is Kirsty Alley? The Fast Ones diets kicks all their assess!
I feel better than I have in a long time. A lot is mental I understand that but that is very important. My body feels good. I have more energy and I think any day now the construction workers by our work will let out a whistle. I bought my first size large shirt in a while.
Life is good and 8 is great!

Only if.....

Only if all runs felt so good. I did take a few days off and planned on running Saturday but my wife has different plans. We have large wall over our stairs that should have been painted ummmmmmm 6 months ago. Well we basically took Saturday to do it. It looks great and my wife is happy so I ran today. Its been a few days and the last couple runs have been a bit discouraging to say the least. I am getting a handle on my caloric intake so I think that has helped. I have been consuming too few calories and I think my body was telling me something. Its great to see light at the end of the tunnel but sometimes, that light is dim.
I did a solid 8 miles and just felt great. I ran the first 5 at a 8:30 pace which is by far a personal best then at mile 5 I cranked up the incline to 10 and ran a sub 12 minute mile, this hurt a bit. After 1 mile of that I finished the last 2 at about an 8 minute pace. I was trying to simulate the Buffalo run a little. Before the run I took a small bottle of "5 hour energy" to try. I cant say if I had a huge boost but it was definitely there. Today was a success and if I can manage my diet and my runs I think I am on my way. I am definitely struggling to maintain that positive attitude I need but this is all so new.
On the flip side, tomorrow we are buying a trailer. Its a Starcraft 17 foot hybrid. We have looked for almost a year and last night found the perfect one. Tomorrow we got to the bank for the exchange and then I enter a new world.
Tomorrow I will do another run and go from there.
I really need to thank my good friend Scott Jaime for spending so much time with me and helping me every step of teh way. Its nice to have so much support from family and friends. I believe Scott falls under both those catergories.

Let's try it again.

Alright, its getting old. I had a rough day of running yesterday so today was redemption. Well, it didn't work out quite like I was hoping. I ran a solid 6 miles but ti truly was a struggle. I never felt comfortable and I seemed to have to push for every step. Maybe my body is still recovering. Part of the problem is after leaving dirt trails, the treadmill and all this snow isn't what the doctor ordered. The good news is my diet is working and improving everyday. I am getting a little more used to it and after feeling strong at Moab I know now just where I am going and why. I am still trying to stay focused and keep things in perspective. I think I will take a couple days off and hit it on Saturday. Stay tuned....

Back on the horse

I am back from Moab and was ready to get rolling again. WRONG. I guess I am still new to the game or something. I just couldn't get over the hump. I lasted 4 miles and left a bit frustrated. I just ran a race I am proud of and now I can barely go 4 miles. The body was pain free but I had no energy. i will try again tomorrow and hope for the best.

Moab Red Hot

What a great day to run. I got up a little early so I could get to the start and watch some friends take off on the 50k. They left at 8 am and the 33k started at 8:30. It was such a nice morning, just enough chill in the air to make sure you felt alive. I waited for the race to start and spent the last few minutes with the girls. The countdown started and I approached the line not really knowing what to expect. It was just so nice to see a dirt trail! The RD got us started and we were off. The first part of the race went up a nice little grind that still had some ice on the trail. Once to the top of that we had a small downhill followed by some flat trails. I felt good and looked at my watch to see I was going a bit faster than I prefer but I decided since it felt so good- just go. I hot the first aide station at 41 minutes which wasn't bad, it put me at about a 10 minute pace. On the trail I met quite a few people and ended up turning my ipod off most of the race. There were a couple sketchy parts where a few got lost. I followed a group of about 6 runners and they led me off course. I learned my lesson quickly, keep your eyes open and don't just follow. It was a nice day and the course was beautiful. I felt really good most of the day and just kept running. I hit the last aide station and decided to finally look at my watch. I was shocked. I had a chance to finish the race under 4 hours. I needed to push and knew it would hurt a little but I had a flashback of the Wasatch Steeplechase last year. That race I had a goal to finish under 4 hours and I didn't push enough at the end and finished in 4:01. I wasn't about to let that happen again. I took a gel, ate a few shot blocks and I took off. I probably passed about 7 or 8 people and it felt great. It was almost like my body realized I was going to push and it didn't fight back. About 3 miles from the finish Skaggs and Anton came blazing by me. They made it look effortless. I finished in 3:49 which was good enough for 29th overall and 8th in my age group.
I'll take it.
Overall, the race felt like a success. I could tell my training and diet are paying off. It was a huge boost for my confidence and hopefully will jump start a busy year. The first race of the year is under my belt and I am ready for more.

A good sign?

The body feels great! The knee is working just like the users manual says. I got in a nice run today. Since I am so new to this, I am not sure if a guy like me with so few miles needs to really taper or not before a long run but I figure that since the Moab run will essentially be a training run, I wont worry about it. I ran 5 miles in 50 minutes. Not too much but after yesterday, it felt good. After Moab I know I need to increase my mileage but I dont want to increase it too much. I would like to pick up the speed a bit too. Not sure whats more important or if I need to incorporate both. Anywho..... I feel confident and ready to get away from all this white stuff. Tomorrow I would like to go another solid 5 and maybe take a day or 2 off before Moab.
The diet is going great. Sometimes I feel like a rabbit with all the veggies but hey, its for a good cause. One day I want to walk down the street and get a cat call from a construction worker again.....Whoohooo!

12 Miles in 2:05

Today was a huge confidence builder. It wasn't blistering speed but a 10 minute mile pace for 12 miles felt pretty solid. After about mile 2 then knee started to give a little and it started to get that stinging pain. I backed off a little and even thought about calling it a day. In the back of my mind I remembered "run through it". Okay, that may not be the best advice all the time for everything but I thought it was worth a shot. About 5 minutes later...it was gone. So I decided to be like Forest and RUN! It was smooth throughout. One thing I have noticed is that if I don't stretch first, I don't really get shin splints. When I get a good stretch, I seem to get aching shins.
I am not sure if it is the biggest factor but at this point it is definitely mental.
The real story will be told tomorrow, will the knee hurt? That's a concern right now but so far I am elated about my run. I am so excited for Moab. I won't be in the top half but I have some confidence. I am not sure if 4 hours is possible but it will sure be nice to get outside!
Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow.......

What a week!

Well, the knee still hurts. I took many days off and was going to run Friday but my wife and I went out to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. It really isn't until the 12th but next week we will be in Moab for a training.
I decided to go 5 miles today and stretch and ice right after the run. So far so good. I really want to do 12 miles tomorrow and take some easy runs early in the week. I am definitely not comfortable for next week in Moab but it will be nice to be outside and away from all this snow.
I am more excited to see friends and new family members.
The real good news is I am a little over a week into my new diet. Man is it tough. I am trying so hard to be discipline and strong. Well I just hope I wake up to my knee wanting to cooperate and that way I can get that 12 in tomorrow.

A nice 5 miles

Well tonight I decided to do 5 miles. My knee is getting a little worse so I wanted to get on and take it easy but still get a workout in. Surprisingly it felt great. The first couple miles the knee felt weak but after that it went smooth. Again, only 5 miles but it was probably the easiest 5 miles I have done. It wasn't blistering but I did 5 in 46 minutes so I will take that. I want to make sure I build a good base and take it slow. My goal is in Septemeber and that means I do have a little time. Changing my lifestyle will be more difficult than running. A good diet, which I am working on and will take advice, will be hard. Food is good and my belly can prove it. I received an email from a friend today and he said "I want you to give it your honest best shot." Well, that is what I plan to do. My family is completely on board and can see that this means alot to me. I may take tomorrow off if the knee isn't better though. I dont want to be making up ground all year.

8 Miles

After shoveling close to 18" of NEW snow, it was time to run. I did 8 solid miles and felt good the entire time. I didn't have any major aches or pains. The right knee is acting up again but maybe it just knows whats in store for it. During the run I thought a lot about Wasatch. I kept going over how much time I have and what I need to do. WOW! I do have others races too you know. I am not over looking them but maybe they turn more into training runs. The Wasatch 100 is the goal. I am so nervous and excited.
I got some more great news today. My good friend Scott Jaime got into HARDROCK 100. No waiting for him this year. It makes me getting into Wasatch and him not feel better. I would like to go down again to see it. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
All in all today felt like a beginning. A beginning to a journey. I want to chronicle the journey so the final destination has some meaning.
At the rate this snow is falling, I may not see a trail until June.

Regret.....

The first real post/thought of the week, since the news of the Wasatch 100 will focus on something at times I focus too much on. Its easy to tell someone to "Get over it", "But you did", or the best "It's okay". Well if it were only that easy. You can feel regret in so many avenues.
Well, I truly have been focused on not having regrets. Since last summer I have made a conscious effort to "Just do it". It may not be possbile but you can make a dent. We all probably have regrets. Some big, some small, some legit, others not. Whatever it may be, we have them. The one I will probably never shake is the regret with my dad. Its been 3 years and still, no closure. Maybe it will go away and maybe it wont. One thing is for sure is that it has taught me a huge lesson. (unfortunately it took my dads death to wake me up)
Going in to the new year and the news of getting into Wasatch, regret will be a focal point. I want to do this. I want Wasatch. Too many reasons to list but they are there. I know what I need to do. I know I am not a elite runner or even a middle of the pack runner but I will finish. It may not be pretty but hey, neither am I. I have 36 hours but I have 7-8 months to put into those hours. It will be difficult to get to where I need to be but I have the best support a person could ask for. It's up to me. I want and need to face this head on with confidence. Improper training will not do it justice. So the journey begins. Do I have regrets come September? Do I have excuses?

No one said it would be easy.......

What a day! It was Sami's 11th birthday and we had a hula party at our house. Fun, fun , fun - eleven 11 year old girls together. After that we had my father-in-laws b-day to celebrate and then took him to dinner. While at dinner my cell phone began to ring. Caller ID says.....Eddy home. I didnt hesitate and answered the phone. Apparently a guy Scott knows, Christian, went to the lottery drawing for the Wasatch 100. Christian apologized in the email stating that neither himself or Eddy were drawn for the race but Aric Manning was. WHAT!? HUH? Oh $HIT! I was silent. I couldnt decide if I should be happy, scared or just plain psyched. Problem. I am no real ultra runner. Jaime is. I felt I took the slot of a seasoned runner who could finish top 5.
Well, whatever thoughts I go through for the next 7-8 months...I AM IN. My first attempt at a 100 mile race. What am I doing? I remember back in the mid-90's looking at Eddy come back from a marathon and that is 26.2 miles. I thought he was nuts and basically swore I would never run that much.
So here we are. What once started out as a blog for more training purposes will turn into a daily diary of a guy who is preparing for his first 100 miler. There will be posts on training, races, thoughts, work and whatever else happens. It could be lame, funny or possible insightful. No matter how it turns out, it will be real. So all you people who have time to kill by reading a few lines from someone you know, now is your chance. You can stay tuned, suggest comments or lose the link and not lose anymore minutes off your life.
NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY, THEY JUST SAID IT WOULD BE WORTH IT!