Thursday, October 30, 2008

Retrospectivity

Yesterday I was 22, today I am 23. Next year, about this time, I will be 24. The problem with aging as a neurotic runner is that growing older means running more miles on your birthday. This is a boon to the neurotic part of a runner, but a problem for the more reasonable, rational human within us all. Anyways, a year ago today I ran the Pikes Peak Marathon route to celebrate my b-day and the year before that I was running Waldo Canyon and some other stuff. Today, I put in 15 miles in GF before work and will be heading out on my favorite 8 mile coulee run this afternoon before LEAP. A glorious day. Everyone has been so kind and nice to me on my B-day. My parents, my friends, my co-workers. I need to learn to take love and accept the blessings that come my way. Love myself really. No need to get into all that. This year has been a whirlwind. I sit here, thinking, "how the f did I get to this point"... graduated from college, moved to MT, joined Americorps, began work at a rural school, won the MT Ultra Championship, have made wonderful friends and have wonderful prospects on the horizon. What's more, life is good and more and more it is becoming clear to me how I should be chasing my dreams, concurrently living in the moment and relishing in the abounding goodness in my life. Service is the calling. Losing myself in serving others... it is my calling. My 23rd year will be a year of dedicated service and honest, thoughtful introspection. Peace.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Change of Pace

It occurred to me just a moment ago that this blog, whatever its worth may be, lies in its flexibility. For everything there is a season... running has taken a back seat in my life for the winter and work, social life and intentional spiritual searching have taken up the helm. That is not to say that I am no longer running or that I was not seeking those things just mentioned while running ranked higher in priority. I am - 90-100 a week... and I was committed to work and intentional soul searching during training... The difference is in the volume of miles and intensity of which I approach the work outs in the off season and the amount of honest, positive introspection I am putting into the rest of my life; mind and body. I renamed my blog to 'Life: Mind, Body, Soul' because of this revelation. My life is more than running, thank goodness. Life is obviously a balance of these three elemental life parts. The seasons of our life dictate the emphasis placed on one or more of the component pieces. But the fact remains, all three are present at all times in some capacity. This blog, in the next few months, is likely to read more like a line of muses than a training journal. It is an honest, introspective, unpacking of my thoughts. That is all it is. It isn't a rant of infallible truth dissemination. Life is what it is and this is the best way for me to process the absolute... mind, body and soul.

On Restless Nights...

I awoke this morning at 2, unable to return to a peaceful slumber. Instead of getting frustrated and excerbating the problem, I laced up my running shoes and went for a 15 miler. It was glorious. I ran it steady and clean. The city was quiet, windless and warm. I think what it came down to was needing some time moving to help process many of the changes that have been occuring in my life lately and the need to recognize those things and submit to those changes. Honestly, great things are screaming in my face - God is sending signs in abundance -, and I continue to play it safe and hold on to those things I know, are comfortable and require little to no risk-taking. This morning on my run it hit me, struck me, completely overtook me... I need to take more chances and be open to these new opportunities and fully embrace what the Lord is providing. Then and only then will I know whether or not those things are indeed good additions to my life. Growth requires change. We should always be on an upward trajectory, growing and growing and growing - changing and changing and changing. Changing, not for the sake of change, but for the sake of upward movement, character refinement and growing closer to the Lord. Anyways, restless nights will do that to you; cause you to be introspective and run for awhile. We can either embrace those opportunities or continue to roll around restlessly, becoming frustrated, irritable and stagnate. Stagnation is not an option. If we are not growing, we are dying. If we are not sleeping we are awake. Make sure your waking hours are meaningful, peaceful and true. Life is good. Embrace it and grow. Follow God's signs whole-heartedly (this is all more a challenge for myself than a challenge to anyone reading this). F'n a, I am a safety Joe. Have a glorious day.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

5 Mile Loops

Lately, I have been finding myself running at 10K pace, right out the door, on 5 mile loops. They are glorious - fast and furious. The last couple of weeks have been glorious. The race, preparations for Lights on Afterschool, my parents visiting, Lights on Afterschool and life. What great peace God gives us when we sit down, take a deep breath and turn to him in praise and thanksgiving for all the goodness He has bestowed upon us. My parents blow my mind, they are wonderful. My workplace is fantastic. I am loving the kids that I am working with. Running is right where it needs to be. My relationship with God is growing daily. A new and exciting friendship is continuing to deepen. My fridge is full of food and my coffee mug is a'steaming. Life is good. Thanks be to the Lord. There is something glorious about hitting the ground at 10K pace, grinding the hills and pushing hard over the short distance of 5 miles. This winter's training will include several 5 mile grinders a week (in the morn), supplemented with easy 10-12s in the afternoons. I have already noticed the difference in comfort at pace on the longer runs. My goal is to increase my speed over the winter - ultimately I am looking to run a sub 6 hour 50 miler -, before I do my next build-up in the spring. I am on target for that if I continue to maintain consistency and strength in my training. To God be the glory. Getting up and running each morning is not a right, it is a privelage. To God be the glory. Peace.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Over the Mighty Mo

This morning I repeated the 12-13 mile loop that I did in the Monday fog. Today was fogless. It was still a very nice, clean run. I had some serious spunk in me and took the run at a nice, comfortable 6:30-7 minute pace. Not too hard, but enough effort to know I am moving. Yesterday I only made time for a 6 miler, one of the shorter days I have had in awhile...and that six miler was a disgrace. So this morning was a bit redemptive for me. It was great. Chatted with fellow IGA Checkout Runner (I know nothing about him other than that he runs 3 miles on occasion and has back problems from a motorcycle accident) while picking up the morning paper on the way home. Always nice to see him. This evening my parents are rolling into the Falls. I have not seen them since June. It will be a nice break from the stress I create for myself at work. Deeeeeeeeeeeeep breath. Just finished the LEAP video and took out the Elementary recycling... Glorious. Anyways, I have really been enjoying my runs lately. I am in very good shape from my summer and fall training, which has made these morning 12 milers extremely comfortable cruisers. It is nice to come back from a 12 or 15 miler and feel fresh as a button. Good day.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

On Coulees and Bowels


The most important step of a 50 mile run is crossing the finish line. Pat, the race director of Le Grizz just sent this my way and I thought what better place to post it than on my running blog. So here it is <----. This morning I pounded out a sick 4 miler. Just awesome. Trying to save myself for a nice, easy run out here in the coulees this afternoon. My favorite place to run in the Great Falls area is out here in the country. The roads are long and gravelly and the terrain is ever-undulating - a perfect training ground. Most importantly, it is just beautiful out here. That is the truth. Many a life affirming run has gone down out here in the gulches. Frankly, it is hard for me to imagine a non-inspirational run out here, having spent most of my miles on runs through the bowels of Great Falls. My point is, coulee running always trumps bowel running. Just kidding. At the end of the day, they are what they are; two distinct types of running. As it is with everything, we must appreciate things for what they are - forgoing constant comparison of apples and oranges. Apples will never be oranges just as coulee running will never be bowel running. In other words, enjoy things for what they are. Eliminate value judgments where value judgments are unnecessary and merely complicate honest realities. For me, this has meant to love running, whether it has been in the bowels of the Falls, in the coulees of the country, in the mountains Colorado, on the shore of Lake Superior, in the National Forests of Wyoming, on the beaches of Cancun, on the flanks of the Montanan Rockies, on the reservations of South Dakota, around the lakes of Minnesota or the canyons of Utah - it has all been running. Each landscape and every place provides us with new and enriching experiences if only we take the time to appreciate the present by forgoing comparison. Love it.

Monday, October 20, 2008

A Thick Fog Over the Mighty Mo

I hit the road about 3:30 this morning, for what turned out to be about a half marathon. It was glorious; super smooth and super fun. Perhaps the most interesting part of the run was crossing the Mighty Mo and running into a thick fog. It was eerie. The floor was perfectly clear on the southwest part of the city, the northwest was perfectly socked in. No lights visible. The area where the northwest part of town was, appeared as a black chasm in the universe, a succinct void. Needless, to say, I had to check it out. I ran instead the stuff and thoroughly enjoyed the ominuous, uncanny cruise through the ground-floor cloud. It proved to be one of those life-affirming runs, where nothing and everything matters and time is no more. Love it.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Upward and Yon

We all progress at different paces,

But most important, that the human race is
moving upward, forward and yon,

Toward the virtuous, great beyond...

And if God is there... oh I know He is,
in that great beyond, where heav'n is,
then our movement is towards everlasting glory,
to that place of the Eden story.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

On pancakes...

There are three ways to know God; through Jesus, Chipotle and pancakes (good ones). The first way, through Jesus, is of course, the only way for us to know our creator. Chipotle is my silly example of an avenue to reach God (though I do think it to be true). Pancakes, my friends, are simply divine. Now, divinity in this sense, is of the Earthly descriptive sort. It is my experience that there are things on this Earth that make us come alive. God programmed us this way. In that way, divinity, comes through those things that make each of us comes alive - we see, feel and know God in those moments. Pancakes, for me, are a reflection of God's greater glory. Divinity shines through an orbus, two-dimensional, wholesome, cake. I don't want to draw this out, the point is, I love pancakes. Presently, I am running errands; just wrote a letter to Brian Jr. in Kenya (my sponsored child); now I am at the library, doing the internet thing and settling my balance (I have a tendency to collect library items and accrue fines, unbeknownced to me, until a freeze is put on my account - fortunately, I have come to budget for this tendency and it is no longer a shock to my pocket-book); next, it is home to eat lunch and take a shower before they turn off the water for the day; then, laundry time. It is game time. Peace and love.

Friday, October 17, 2008

On Obscene Sights...

On my morning 9 miler I cruised past a rather disturbing scene... The thing of it was, that the scene wasn't so disturbing or strange as was the stream of images and memories that the sight elicited. Running 7th Ave. alley I ran past a garage with a freshly slain antelope strewn about. A bit of a shock, as it was unexpected, but beautiful in the sense that the man cleaning the animal seemed to be an honest sportsmen. At any rate, it immediately got me thinking about other strange things I have seen while running, specifically a sight from Colorado Springs. I won't go into any sort of detail, but I will say this, I ran within a couple feet of a teenage couple performing a rather illicit act inside a beater of a car. I am not sure who was more shocked, surprised, or appalled; the couple or me. One thing is for sure, it made us all a bit more conscious of how we behave in public places - at least I hope it is so for the couple. It was a great run this morning... a hard, tempo followed by some pancakes. Glorious. That is all for now. Peace and love and stuff.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

MEA and Post-Modernism

MEA, as far as I am concerned, stands for Excessive Coffee Imbibation. You are probably quick to realize that the acronym there is ECI, a far cry from MEA. But it is my reality, my MEA. Thus, is/are the implications of post-modernism. What feels right to me at a given moment, even if it defies convention, truth, and complete objectivity, is wholly right in my mind's eye - folks who think contradictory to my line of thought are just as right in there mind's eye. This modern philosophy is, of course, absurd. There is a baseline truth that undergirds all reasoning. Some things are right and some things are wrong. Anyways, I don't want to get into it, but this is a philosophy that has been bugging me lately. Presently, I am in the process of running errands. Yesterday I put in a solid 13 miles, today will be closer to 10 or so. Nothing new or exciting to report. My guess is that this running blog, through the next several months, will begin looking more like a rant and rave blog (as the entree) with a dash of running on top. What a great way to process thoughts and feelings, this blog stuff. Everyone should have a blog. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go enjoy my MEA day off. Peace.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

On fate, accidents and Don Resset..

Firstly, fate. Not much to say here, other than "stuff happens". Secular fatalists would have us believe that God, as an explanation for all things inexplicable is an uneducated answer to a scientific problem. They have it exactly backwards. Fatalism is a cop-out for all things pre-ordained by God's good and perfect will. Free will gives us choice, which is wholly compatible with the sovereignty of God, and that choice - so necessary to our very essence - allows us to make both good and bad decisions, concurrently allowing evil spirits to be as real as good and perfect, Godly spirits. The more in tune we are with our creator - understanding and abiding - the more His good and perfect Word will be clear to us, hampering the ability of evil spirits to lead us down misguided paths. Sure, stuff happens, but how do you account for it? By chance? Nay, I say. Dig deeper. Fate is a weak answer. Secondly, accidents. Yesterday, on my morning 8 I nearly lost my  life, or at least my health, or something. I nearly lost something is my point. Running 7th St. alley, I edged too close to a 20 foot crevasse in the road and lost my footing... fortunately, there was a bush within reach to grab hold to and pull myself up. Thanks be to the Lord. Thirdly, Don Resset. Great man. Peace.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ahhhh, Recovery...

I am feeling really solid physically. Sunday, I went for a three mile jog. Yesterday day I did a 6 mile cruise and this morning I ran a really steady 8. Doubtless, all the miles I put in prior to the race are coming in to speed up the recovery. I feel loose, limber and spry. It feels so great to go out for an 8 miler without any thought of time, pace or near-term goals. As great as it is to have race to train for it is also wonderful to come out of a running season - letting the body rest and rediscovering why it is you love running. My official time for the Le Grizz was 6:22:59, a minute and a half behind the first place overall runner and 30 minutes ahead of the 3rd place runner. Again, very happy with my effort. Everything came together - the Lord was there guiding me every step of the way (that is not just cliche religious rhetoric, but the honest to goodness truth). The effort was good enough to achieve the distinctive honor of 2008 USATF Montana Ultra Marathon Champion... unexpected icing on the cake. At any rate, I can't get over how wonderful of a run that was. I had a wonderful time and for the first time in a race, felt spot on with my training. What's more, I am very excited for the next couple of months of running for fun -maybe 60-80 miles a week -, retooling - assessing this last training cycle and making changes for the future -, and next spring/summer racing season - maybe some 50Ks, a 50 miler and maybe the Leadville 100 in August... But at this point, who knows - it is all tentative. The time is now and I love it. Excited to continue diving into my life here in MT.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Race Report

The race went great. I felt very fit and spry. Starting at 5, we took a 2 hour bus ride up the winding mountain road that we would be running. After checking in at the start line, we stood around for about an hour, trying to stay warm... it was about 20 degrees and snowing at the start. Took off with a shotgun start at 8AM. I ran alone for the last 48 miles of the race. Through mile 27, I was feeling very strong and fluid in my gait. One of my personal running disciplines is to run as light and as technologyless as possible - no camelbak, water bottles, ipods, etc; no watch, no gps, nada. For me it is all about running with heart and feeling, feeling out your pace and being honest about it, regardless of what your splits are. Anyways, at mile 27 I felt great, hitting all of the aid stations very smoothly. It is interesting to come to the end of what would be a marathon and realize that you have to run another. Miles 37 to 41 were probably the toughest miles of the race. Mentally, I was starting to become unglued and becoming hyper aware of every little ache and pain... but nothing was out of hand. Just the standard pains one would expect for running 40 miles. By mile 42 I was on the count-down and the end was in sight. I knew that I had hit the race with just the right pace and effort to finish strong. By mile 48 the guy running in first place, also named Brian, was within 1 to 2 minutes reach, but however much I tried to dig in and kick up my pace, I couldn't. I crossed the finish just a minute or two behind the first place finisher. I was the first unsupported runner - no pacers, aid crew, etc. to cross the finish. My time for the 50 was 6:22, about 7:38 pace. I was very satisfied with the effort and pace. The race had a couple of thousand vertical in it, which makes me very happy with the pace. Regardless, I finished and finished strong, that was my goal for this race. I truly believe my training and taper was spot on for this race. The high mileage paid off for sure. I am a bit stiff, at present, but no unreasonable pains. All in all, I am feeling great physically and am totally stoked about the days effort. I thank all of you who encouraged me, prayed for me and supported me in this effort. You all are wonderful. Well, that is the end of race season. The next couple of months will be filled with fun and easy (and low mileage) runs and developing plans for the spring running season. Glorious. Love it. Peace.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Television is Glorious

Here I sit, first of all, embarrassed by blogging three time today - that seems excessive - secondly, wholly contented on a hotel bed, watching new episodes of Seinfeld. Now, you are probably thinking, f'n a, Seinfeld was new eight years ago; and you are right. By new I mean 4th season plus. I do not own a TV. A TV addiction in college left me frustrated to the breaking point of giving it away to the first person to walk past my door. Ever since, I have been TVless. All is not lost. I do own the 1st through 3rd seasons of Seinfeld on DVD. I have been watching a couple episodes a day on my computer for the last 2 years. I have them memorized, forward and back. That is why it is such a treat to watch "new" episodes and frankly, anything on television period. What a great, mindless, time passer. Love it. Peace.

My lesson

Just remembered it.

When in close proximity to a bathroom and in need of it's services, use it. You never know when the next bathroom may be available.

Yip

Heading up to Hungry Horse today to get some sleep before the race manana. On my loosy goosy 6 miler this morning I was put in stitches (well, cracked a smile) upon eyeing a bumper sticker that read, "save a tree, skin a cat", or something to that effect. As a part-time, fair-weather environmentalist and a lover of funny things, I found it repulsive with a jolt of levity. To each his own. Let's face it, life is too short to be constantly tending to our visceral responses, creating drama where there is none and, of course, miss out on a moment of levity. Presently, I am enjoying my day off, sipping on some coffee and eating a peanut butter bagel at Morning Light coffee in GF.

On passions... never let money, time or nay-sayers be barriers to your pursuit of what makes you come alive. If I were pressed to deliver one, single lesson on the rigors of training 20 plus miles a day while concurrently working full-time, it would be this;

Wait, a preface to my silly lesson. We all have a passion, or six, and they are all equally valuable. In using the raw facts and figures of the last couple of months - mileage, work-time, etc., by no means to I intend to say my passion is the ultimate. It is what it is and I have learned something from it. Hopefully, it is the same with everyone else, assuming there are actually readers of this blog. Emerson exhorts us to "lose ourselves...to live with abandonment...", following those things that make us come alive, forgetting all else; our worries, fears, anxieties, nay-sayers, hecklers?, pre-prescribed limits, etc... Or, as the great poet Marshalus Matherus (Eminem) said, "Lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it, you better never let it go..."

My lesson. Well, I honestly just lost it. In the moment I guess. Shoot. Well if, no when, I recall what it was/is I will hop back on here and share it. Coffee time. Peace and love. God bless.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Coming into my shape...

Yesterday afternoon I put in a very nice and smooth 8 miler on gravel, winding through the coulees of rural Montana. I took a GPS with me to start plotting out a 5K and a 10K race route for an upcoming fundraising as well as to plan out a route for my running club, later in the afternoon. Running club went really well. I have 5 kids, 4th-6th grade, who are gung-ho about running a race. Before going out for a mile run, I had the kids fill out purpose and goal sheets for the club and we discussed discipline and how it applies to running and life. The kids were very open and responsive throughout. We went for a nice mile as a team... that is my emphasize with the club, sticking together and encouraging one another. Everyone finished and our post-processing time was swell. This morning I went for, quite possibly, the easiest (in terms of effort, while keeping the pace good and honest) 8 miler of my life. I am coming into my shape. I did my usually 3 mile "boom-boom" at the 24 hour gas station on 7th st. and 2nd ave. n. The whole of the run was a delight. I have my race plan all set and am feeling prepared physically, mentally and spiritually for the race on Saturday. Thanks be to the Lord. Alright, it is off to grant-writing and strategic planning sessions... Peace and love and all that good stuff.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Hit by a bus... cont.

Today, October 8th, is turning out to be a much better day physically, mentally and spiritually than many of the previous, October, 2008 days. I awoke this morning with an overall feeling of having only walked into the side of a parked bus (as opposed to yesterday, having been struck by a bus). Yesterday was the shortest day of running, by far, since the beginning of this training cycle - end of July. 10 miles total yesterday and none this morning. This afternoon I will go for an easy 6-8 and call it good. Gotta love the taper. I am already feeling perkier than I have in months. The biggest change is in my diet. I am having to eat significantly less than I have for the last several months, as I am only burning 1/4 of the calories I was turning my peak weeks. Just a simple shift in eating habits, thats all, but sometimes that can be difficult. So far, I think I have it. I am all set to go for this weekend's race... My supervisor gave me Friday off (without my asking, what a delight), my lodging is squared away for the weekend, I have a ride to the starting line, my car is prepped and ready... Things are looking good. Life is good and if anyone tells you otherwise, sock 'em in the nose. No, really, gently tell them, in the most peaceful tone you can conjure up, that they are wrong; and that, life is indeed good if only they choose to believe that it is so. Peace.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Hit by a bus...

I woke up this morning at 4 for my morning run. I woke up this morning at 4, feeling like I had been hit by a bus. My knees ached, my muscles quaked. Should I run? Of course! All pain, all gain? Is that how the saying goes... that is ridiculous. Seriously though, I felt like I got hit by a bus. Last night I went for an 11 miler after work. I threw down. It was a grocery tempo day... The first few warm-up miles were sub 7 min., within a couple of miles I was cruising along at sub 6 pace, where I stayed for the remainder of the run - bananas in one hand, yogurt in the other. I shredded great falls. It was a glorious sweater run. As the weather changes to winter so my running outfits change to festive, cold-weather get-up. Spandex on the legs, a beautiful, tan sweater with a green collared, button undershirt on the upper body. This is my favorite time of year to run. Back to this morning's run. I shredded last night. I slogged today. Just a little over an hour for my eleven miler last night, a little over an hour for my six miler this morning. I love it. As I continue to mature in my approach to training I am recognizing more and more the need and the JOY of really slow runs. After work I will plod out another 6 miler to stay loossssssssssy gooosy. Back to work.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Typical day of training...

As stated in an earlier blog, I typically run 10-13 in the morning, easy, then put in 16-20 in the evening (tempo, at pace, or intervals), 7 days a week at the peak of training. The training looks the same, but the mileage about 30% less during tapers and in between build-ups. Typically, I do 300-400 ab exercises a day (ball crunches, crunches, planks, etc.). I used to do push-ups to maintain my upper body strength, but frankly, I loathe the motion. So, to maintain my upper body I throw in a few "fruit runs" a week. Towards the end of a run I pick up some bananas and split them up evenly between hands, then I proceed to finish off the last couple of miles of the run, bananas in hand, toning my arms (trying anyways). A bit silly, it looks, I am sure. Honestly though, fruit running makes for a great upper body workout. Try it. That is about all I do to stay fit and healthy for races. Somedays training is fun, somedays it is drudgery, somedays it is absolutely heavenly... I enjoy the fun days, push through the days of drudgery, and come alive on the heavenly days.

Just Another day, unfortunately...

Put in decent mileage this weekend, definitely a cut-back from the the last couple of months. 18 on Sat., and 16, super easy yesterday. I forced myself to take the morning off in lieu of the race coming up this weekend. Tapering is hard. It is difficult for me to break routine and habitual patterns that have dictated my life for weeks on end. But, for everything there is a season. The season of high mileage ends and the final portion of the taper begins. Anyways, unfortunately, I am feeling a bit down today, for no good reason. Hopefully, I can swing up out of this valley soon. I will put a nice and cool 10-12 miler in after work today and hopefully sleep better than I did last night.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Mileage Log

My mileage in the weeks leading up to the build (8/24-9/21) hovered around 100 miles a week, which I have been fairly consistent with since February.

8/24 - 8/30 = 110 miles...Highlight of the week - running a solid 110 miles, pain-free
8/31 - 9/6 = 132 miles...Highlight of the week - a fast 10 mile treadmill run, at altitude
9/7 - 9/13 = 152 miles...Highlight of the week - a very comfortable 24 miler, followed by an 8 in the eve
9/14 - 9/20 = 204 miles...Highlight of the week - 55 miles in a 24 hour period
9/21 - 9/27 = 159 miles...Highlight of the week - 40.5 miles in a 24 hour period
9/28 - 10/4 = 130 miles...Highlight of the week - bloody urine

About a week now until the Le Grizz 50 miler and I am feeling in tip-top shape. This final taper week my target mileage is around 100, hopefully closer to 90 if I can control myself. Should be a good week at school too, the work there is going well and day by day I am feeling encouraged to engage further with the after school program and sustainable solutions for Centerville School.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Days of Redemption

I took it easy yesterday, 1 day after my screws came loose on that 16.5 miler; bloody urine, pins and needles and little sleep. Easy 8 in the morning, work, easy 9 in after work. That was good. But this morning proved smoother and better yet. I threw down a really fluid 12 miler before work. A total life affirming jaunt. By the 2nd mile I was cruising along at about 6:30-7 minute pace. Very comfortably. Came to the end of the run feeling fresh and ready for the day; very little soreness, clear urine, and an inner vitality which I have been lacking as of late. A good start to a good day. This evening will be a nice and easy 6-8 miler to process the day and let the legs go loosy goosy. I feel like I am coming into my shape. The aches and pains of the 4 or more weeks at 150 miles or better are going away and fluidity is returning to my gait. It is glorious. This is my favorite part of training. The hard work is behind me, the taper and race ahead, and the goodness of life is at hand.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Mega-miles and Bloody Urine

Presently, I am tapering for the Le Grizz 50 in two weeks. Its funny how your perspective on mileage and tapering changes as you adjust your training. Two weeks ago I had a 204 mile week - with one 43 mile day (13 before work, 30 after), last week was closer to 160. Less than two weeks to the race now I am going to hit 130 or so and scale back to 90-100 for the final week leading up to the race. Feeling rock solid. Because of my 9-10 hour work days during the week and conferences during the weekend, I have been having to split up my mileage; 10-13 in the morning, 16-20, after work. Its tiring, to be sure, but it provides me with some solid benchmarks that keep me disciplined and fit. Yesterday after a long day of office work, and a 4 hour field trip to the buffalo jump site with the K-6th graders I went for my usual post-work long run. Unfortunately, I hadn't been hydrating well throughout the day to prepare for it - when running so much it is easy to lose respect for distances and take on long distances with a casual air - and man, oh man, did I pay the price. After getting back to my apartment, I peed blood. Freaked out, I begin downing liters of water. I probably imbibed something close to a gallon of water before I had to pee again and thank the Lord, it was yellow-tinged. Anyways, I learned my lesson: never lose respect for the distances and nutritional requirements needed to go the distance. That is all for now. I will be posting my mileage logs soon!

The Beginning

What a great way to process thoughts and feelings, this blog stuff. After weeks and weeks of chronic lethargy from working full-time during the week, weekend conferences and running 20-30 miles a day it has come time to share the peaks and troughs of my life since my move to Montana. About 3 months ago I moved to Great Falls, MT to take up an Americorps position at a little country school. I am working with the existing program to ensure its sustainability in terms of funding, participation and quality in enrichments. Anyways, things have been pretty solid. Still trying to figure out what my purpose is in all of this, life. Since August my schedule has been run, work, run, sleep. The pace is crazy - definitely not sustainable, but it is the only way I have found to maintain an adventurous and exciting life while working a steady job.