Confidence? Arrogance?

Brave? Ballsy? Inspiration? How do you describe a person who decides to do something for someone else that they've never done for their self? I've heard these as well as other adjectives to describe what I'm doing with the upcoming Ironman. No, I haven't done an Ironman before; yes there will be someone depending on me to be able to complete the 140.6 mile trek; yes he is aware of the circumstances as well. If I had to come up with the adjective that I thought best describes the next 10 month's adventure, I'd say it would be accountability. I can honestly say that I have not reached my potential as a runner or triathlete; and I am 100% certain that that is my own fault. I have never made myself 100% accountable for my training. I have always done a 'good job' training. I feel I've been prepared for all the races I've done but I've never set myself up to be the best marathoner or triathlete that I can be. Now, I don't have a choice. I knew in my heart that I would put forth my best training and dedication if I wasn't doing it for myself. Why do so many runners fund raise??? Accountability. No one wants to put their self out there for a cause and then fall on their face in failure. Is there pressure? Hell yeah there's pressure, but it's not pressure to do something I can't do. I haven't volunteered to do something that I am not capable of doing because I have learned that I am the only thing holding me back. I have not qualified for the Boston Marathon because of what's between my ears; when it's cold and the sun isn't up yet and my alarm goes off, I can hit snooze and 'justify' it to myself; but for the next 10 months I don't have that luxury. But it's not pressure, it's peace of mind. Peace of mind in knowing that I am able. Peace of mind in knowing that I will not hold myself back. Peace of mind that athletes like Rod (blind - multiple marathons and a half Ironman) and Kathy (visually impaired - marathon and multiple half marathons) complete, show that it isn't right for someone like me to have low expectations of those with disabilities. Peace of mind knowing that when everything is said and done and it's the end of the race Sunday September 9th, 2012 and I cross that finish line, that those that don't know me, those that don't read this blog, those who aren't my Facebook friends, they won't know who I am, they will see the person that's inspiring me to do all of this and they will only know that I was accountable.

My Run Around: CAN'T

My Run Around: CAN'T: CAN you?

CAN'T

You try explaining to this kid the definition of 'CAN'T'. I CAN'T take credit for finding this picture but since I saw it I CAN'T stop thinking about it. There's so many emotions and thoughts that fill my mind when I picture this boy with a smile of pure joy, enjoying something so simple yet so important to him. I used to work for a guy that was full of one-liners and fortune-cookie wisdom, but he did have one saying that stuck with me, he would say; "When you question whether you CAN do something like "CAN I run a mile, or CAN I walk to the street corner" simply add HOW to the beginning of the statement; HOW CAN I do something I thought was once impossible for me? This young boy is the definition of HOW and doesn't know CAN'T.

Some things just make sense

For those of you not familiar with the registration process for Ironman Wisconsin it goes something like this: Saturday prior to race-day Sunday all Ironman participants for this year’s race can register for next year's. Sunday the race takes place: 7 am – 12 am. Monday at 9 am the doors open for all volunteers to stand in line and register for next year’s race. Another line forms for those who weren’t volunteers but hope to register for next year’s race. Assuming there are places left after those three registration types, online registration for anyone else becomes available.

I decided I would register for 2012 Ironman last week. I volunteered Sunday on the bike portion of the race that went through Verona, worked about 5 hours setting up and passing out water bottles to competitors as they raced through town. Monday I dropped Mason off at school and drove down town to stand in line at the Monona Terrace in hopes that there’d be a spot for me. I got in, I registered. Then I waited. . .

Working at a running store provides you the opportunity to meet various people. One person in particular caught my interest. She works with the local branch of Achilles International. They have a great mission statement: “Our mission is to enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics in order to promote personal achievement, enhance self esteem, and lower barriers to living a fulfilling life.” In conversation with this individual I started to inquire about how I could help. I was given an email for a local woman who likes to run; I’ll call her “Katie”. Katie’s run 5k’s, half-marathons and triathlons. Katie is blind, so for any triathlon, half-marathon or jog around the block she needs a guide. There are things in life I’ve taken for granted and there are things I’ve never considered; being a visually impaired or blind person and loving running is a situation that never crossed my mind. I’ve had injuries that prevented me from training, cold mornings where I didn’t want to get out of bed, but never had I considered needing someone else to be there if I wanted to go run a couple miles. Through corresponding with Katie we discussed a friend of hers that I saw at the Door County Half Iron, who’s blind. On Friday night of last week Katie gave me his phone number.

Saturday I had my first conversation with “Rob”, who wants to do Ironman. Monday Rob’s daughter was waiting for 12:00 to try and register her dad for Ironman. 12:30 my phone rang, it was Rob, minutes later I’m emailing the coordinators of Ironman to open up my confirmed reserved spot so I could be Rob’s guide.

My point isn’t to brag, or say that what I’m doing is great or better than doing the race alone, it’s because it made sense. To me races aren’t about the hard-ware you get for finishing or the goody-bag you get when you register, it’s about the feelings you have when you see the finish line coming, to know that you will finish, the thoughts that rush to your mind, the memories, the people, everything in to a few great moments and then that feeling of finishing. You can’t lose those feelings like a tee shirt, those moments don’t ever get scuffed or broken like a medal. I feel that crossing the line with Rob will have a bigger impact on me than crossing it by myself; that’s something that can’t be lost or taken, that’s what I’m dedicating the next 12 months to.

Dedicate yourself to something where the only gain you have is in your mind and in your heart.

Pay it forward. . .

Sometimes injuries happen, sometimes you get a little knocked down. Those issues come and go but the timing usually sucks. I'm nursing my own nagging injury, the triathlon was two weeks ago today, my foot feels better so I decided to give it a try, unfortunately it was only good enough to get me from my normal starting spot to the next driveway. It sucks, not because I have a race I'm preparing for, but because I was preparing for someone else's race.

If you're new or unfamiliar with marathons and half marathons, there's an unheralded group that you may not know even existed. Pacers. There are people who instead of signing up for races for their own accomplishment they choose to be responsible for others', which to me means more. Pacers have one job, to cross the finish the line at an assigned time. People volunteer for these positions, their responsibility is finishing the race at the exact time they signed up for. Why do pacers exists? So other runners can just concentrate on running and not worry about how fast or how far, just run. Some runners use pacers so they can PR, some use them to try and push themselves faster than they've ever gone, some use them because they don't know. Whatever the reason, it's the pacer's job to reward those that stay with them, that gut it out and push themselves. The pacers are quite recognizable at races normally wearing neon shirts and holding a stick that has a number on top of it. It's not just a number, it's a time, it's someone elses' goal time. There are plenty of opportunities to meet these pacers: 1. at the packet pick up at the Madison Mini Marathon, 2. before and during the race and 3. after the race. I encourage all of you to thank these pacers, you can read about them here.

My names on the list but I probably won't be there. I'm most frustrated that I won't be able to pay it forward this race. The more races I run the more I realize that I'm not thinking about me when I cross the finish line. I see my family and friends smiling, cheering, enjoying the moment. As I approach the finish line my thoughts and feelings race, emotions fill my heart and I get choked up. The race was a time to reflect and think, think about the things I thought about hundreds of times on training runs, but those thoughts meant more during the race. It was my intention to give that opportunity to someone else at the Madison Mini Marathon. But what I can be most proud of; the fact that last year I ran this race with a friend, it was his first half marathon. . . his names on the list too, he'll be there.

Finisher

For a hack runner like myself approaching the finish line is always the most welcome and exciting feeling of the entire race. Above, I'm coming down a hill to the entrance chute of the finish line, I'm about 300 yards from the end of a Half Iron Triathlon. It's the only part of the race that I remember what I was thinking, almost in a "what were you doing when. . . " moment. I was fixated gingerly running down the steep hill because my right foot was hurting and every time I applied pressure towards the front of my foot it felt as if a nail was being driven through the ball of my foot. I made the decision as soon as the run portion started to never walk (except the ridiculous hills). Not long after the picture was taken I saw my family: wife, kids, mom and dad; that's when my mind really went ablaze. I started raising my hands and clapping my way down the remainder of the hill and on to the flat. The pain went away in my foot as I began getting choked up thinking of how happy I was to be finishing as strongly as I did. I thought about my grandfather and Grandpa's Marathon, seeing the turkeys and attending his funeral. I thought about the Daddy Hug's Hustle and pushing my daughter around on a hot windy day when she fell asleep. I thought about close friends who suffered and are still suffering. I thought about my wife and kids and all their support through the race and the race year. Tears filled my eyes and my throat closed as I entered the finish chute. In racing this is one of the most exciting places to be, in Door County it was a 50 yard long gated off runway with bleachers lining the left side. A large metal gate awaits decorated with Door County Triathlon across the top. I continued clapping and raising my arms to the cheers of the crowd, adults and children lined the fence to the left and children excitedly reached their hands out to receive 'high fives' from willing competitors. I left no hand un-high fived as these people who have never met me shared in my excitement to finish. As I approached the finish line I could see that my dad had positioned himself as the last person on the fence prior to the finish line. He was holding a video camera that captured these final moments of the race with his other hand offering the last high five of the race.

Racing is a an incredible feeling second to seeing your family cheering you on and finishing.

What's the difference between me and you?

Was I born with some special Mexican blood that makes me able to run mile after mile? Was I blessed with athletic abilities beyond your wildest dreams? Truth is I'm the same. I'm no better, worse or gifted than any of you. But I had to make a choice. I had to take the first step and believed that I could follow it with another and another and another.

If someone says it can't be done, go out and do it. Don't let people's fears or roadblocks be yours; they don't apply to you. Go out and find your own limits, set your own boundaries and do it for yourself. Yes your health is important, yes looking good for your partner is important but if you can't sit back and enjoy your accomplishments then you're wasting your time. I love races because I love hearing people cheer for me. I love the fact I get a medal. I've never won state in a high school sport, I don't know what it's like to win a Big Ten Championship, but I know what it's like to round the corner from West Washington to the Capitol Square to a cheering crowd. I know what it's like to cross the finish line; no one can take that away from me. No one can take what it feels like to have people tell you that you've inspired them.

A week from today I hope to be celebrating completing something I never thought possible; I'm competing in a half ironman triathlon. That doesn't make me special, the 500 miles I've run this year don't make me special, being around thousands of other people that decided that they weren't bound by other peoples' limits, that's special.

The right to Bare Feet

If you've been running within the last couple years you have probably heard, read and seen some of the bare foot running craze. Some credit a book "Born to Run" written by Chris McDougall. Despite your opinion on bare foot running the book is actually a good read for any runner of any level. The premise of the book is obviously given away by the title and is based on a remote tribe that runs wearing a slice of car tire strapped on by leather as their footwear. This tribe runs as a part of daily life, endless miles on trails up and down mountainsides. No member of the tribe suffers from any of the most common running injuries that we hear about or experience. This "injury free" running is accredited to the tribes running form which starts at what's on their feet. The argument is that because they wear a primitive shoe that doesn't have inches of rubber and foam as a sole, the tribe runs "naturally" in a way that uses what humans are born with instead of relying on our modern day running shoe.

When I get in this conversation I always preface it by stating that if running were politics, this topic would have a far right and a far left. On one side those that are hard-core believers in bare foot running feel that running bare foot can eliminate most to all common running injuries as well as end world hunger, cancer and the common cold. The other side of the argument feel that the bare footers are quacks that have nothing to medically/physiologically support the argument. As with so many things in life, I feel the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

I can only comment on my experiences with the shoes. According to my training log I have 78 miles on my Vibrams (Bikila). My overall opinion is that there are gains to be had for almost all runners. Let me start with some background on my running style: in running technical terms I'm a neutral runner, this means that I generally land flat on my foot as I roll back foot to front (regardless of heal strike). This further means that I don't need a shoe that helps correct additional movements or pronation in my ankles/feet when I run. Since I began running I spent time researching efficient running styles. As I read further and further I realized that if you removed the titles from "How to run efficiently" and "How to run bare foot" you may find it hard to determine which article was which. Because of this research and me 'trying' to apply it in normal running shoes, I did not have a huge break in period with the Vibrams that you often hear about. The biggest issue I had to deal with was sore muscles in my feet. Wearing the Vibrams require you to wake up and use muscles that have been sleeping probably since we were children running around the back yard. It's quite interesting to have your feet be sore in this manner, it's not like any foot soreness I've ever experienced.

As far as performance, I feel lighter and faster in my Vibrams. Why? When I run with shoes, even a light weight trainer like my New Balance 890, I find that I have to 'try' and land exactly how I want and 'try' to keep my form flowing freely. When I wear the Virbrams it's effortless, there's no additional 'trying', I concentrate less on how I'm running and just let go, just run. It's hard to explain, but I feel more efficient because I'm minimizing wasted movements, as subtle or abrupt as those movements are with shoes. I've run faster and farther in Vibrams. This is a function of training as I lead up to my triathlon next weekend but I feel it is also because of how light I feel in the Vibrams. I feel my feet carry me along as compared to when I run with shoes I feel like all my efforts are in my thighs; again hard to explain but that's how it feels. I feel I reach my stride in my Vibrams, that point where there is no effort and I'm able to just sail along and all I can think about is how I could go faster; my heart rate regulates and my body just does what it does and is there for the ride.

Again, the shoes aren't for everyone, but that doesn't mean that you can't incorporate bare foot running in to your training and get some of the benefits. Here is a good source to start, this blog even links to one of the characters from 'Born to Run', Barefoot Ted.

I run for those that didn't get the chance to

Sometimes life gets in the way of training. Sometimes emotions get in the way of training. Sometimes things happen that can't be explained. It's those times that miles don't matter, heart rate doesn't matter, pace doesn't matter; that's when running becomes therapy. When every step is an accomplishment, when the next step is the first step to recovery. Every time your foot touches the ground it's your way of telling the world that you're not going to stop, you're not quitting. You're stronger because of your next step. It's not about being skinny or fit, it's about the journey you've started and not letting anything stop that. Stop on your terms.

CSB

The first rule of Fight Club. . .

. . . is you do not talk about Fight Club! The second rule of Fight Club is YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB! What does Fight Club have to do with running. . . Fight Club was an underground group created as a way for regular people to engage in a fight, that's it. Under normal conditions fighting occurs for a number of negative reason, in Fight Club it wasn't to see who was a better fighter or determine a champion, it was a way for people to experience pure joy. Those participating are happy to fight, happy to win, happy to lose. The joy doesn't come from the outcome of the fight, joy is the outcome because of the fight. Do to the rules of Fight Club, the outcome of a fight is irrelevant because you can't talk about it anyway. I think there's plenty of parallels to running as well as some things to keep in mind.

If you're not a runner and have zero aspirations to become one, then start your own Fight Club. If you prefer to fight, great, but find the activity where happiness comes from participation not completion. 99% of runners won't ever cross a finish line first, but ask most runners if that matters. While I was running the Estes Park Marathon I had the pleasure of meeting a couple people along the course while we were struggling with miles upon miles of hills. One individual, who's name I did not get, was a proud member of the Marathon Maniacs, and donned his Marathon Maniac jersey that can be seen at most races. If you're not familiar with this group, click the link and prepare to be amazed. The gentleman I walked next to for a bit was going to complete his 191st marathon that day. 191st. I asked him what his favorite race was. . . he had completed the fifty marathon in fifty states 3 times over, could choose a number of gorgeous places he'd seen including the one we were doing that day but instead he chose Louisville. I have nothing against Kentucky, I've been there, my family used to visit there, my middle name comes from someone from Kentucky, but why of all places he'd been and seen did he choose Louisville? He gave two reasons: 1. it was his 100th marathon, but more importantly 2. he ran it with his father, his father's first marathon. If you talk to a Marathon Maniac you'll find them to be one of the most modest groups you'll ever meet. They can be found with self made jerseys with names of all fifty states crossed off in their quest to do 50 Marathons in 50 States but you'd be hard pressed to find one bragging or boasting. For the first 14 miles of the Estes Park Marathon I ran near a first time runner and a guy who couldn't remember how many marathons he'd done. In their conversation the first timer asked why he was running and talking with her. He said that's what he liked best about marathons, meeting new runners and helping them out. There wasn't a hint of brash or ego in anything he said.

Fight Club was personal; every participant got something different out of the activity, a sense of accomplishment, participating in something generally frowned upon, getting beat up, but it was the fight pure and simple that mattered. Records weren't kept, wins and loses didn't matter, what mattered was fighting.

How to finish

I've learned more about finishing marathons in the last two weeks then in my two years of marathon training. Two weeks ago I worked the last water station at the Madison Marathon followed up by running last week's Minneapolis Marathon. Here's what I know:
At mile 25 there are two types of runners and two types of walkers. Walker #1 - someone who trained, possibly not enough, but they knew that going in and are still happy doing whatever they can to finish. Runner #1 - heading to the home stretch up right and still running. Runner #2 - not quite a run but certainly not a walk, working hard to finish. Walker #2 - pissed off!!

I want to focus on walker #2. They may fall in to a couple sub-categories; wanted to run a PR and couldn't maintain it or had unrealistic expectations of matching their training and their race. These are usually first timers who may never sign up for another race because the experience is awful. This runner spent 12-18 weeks training for this day and because they thought they could run with the 3:50 pace group they ended up walking at mile 15. I find myself to be a running numbers geek. I try and study and learn from all my runs, especially my long runs so I know what I should expect realistically on race day. I had no intention of qualifying for Boston last Sunday because I was never close in any of my training. I was very happy with my performance because I ran smart and was able to spend most of the second half of the race passing people; look for yourself here. I'm not tooting my horn, I'm trying to explain that despite your training efforts you can enjoy a distance race and be excited to sign up for another if you plan your race smart. On the link to my results go to the bottom by the 'graphic results'. It lists how many people I passed and how many passed me. From mile 9.5 of the race until the end I passed 153 runners, during that same time I was passed by 12. My times fell off as the race went on but I built a race plan I felt confident I could execute and did. It was great to hear the people watching the race tell me how strong I looked and how well I was running. That helped me smile and helped keep me going. I can't emphasize enough on the importance of building a race plan that includes: nutrition, hydration and pace. I'll get in to the details on another post and bore you with my running geekiness.

The point is that I'd hate for a first time marathoner/half marathoner/10ker/5ker never want to run another race because they didn't have some help putting together a plan of attack for the race. Races are suppose to be the fun part and the time to enjoy the fruits of all your training, don't leave your race to chance, especially if you're new to distance races. Get some advice, ask me, read about it online, do something to make sure you're not walker #2.

Who cares what you see in the mirror

I have to confess, this isn't a picture of me above. I also have to admit that running has changed my body greatly, for the better. Since my running started back in August of 2009 I've lost about 15 lbs and at least a couple inches from my waist. Also, since last working on the rail road back during college I have been revisited with the small hint of that vein on my bicep sticking out. I couldn't be happier with what I've seen happen to my body, but it means very little when it comes to distance running. Yes, if you are 5 lbs lighter that can have a positive impact on your ability to run but it won't necessarily shave minutes off your marathon time.

Tomorrow I run the Minneapolis Marathon, I will get beat by both men and women who if picked out of a line-up you'd swear couldn't run 2 miles let alone 26.2. It's gratifying to watch the weight go down and see the fat go away, that's a fantastic thing, but it's easy to fall in love with what you see and automatically assume and expect that that's going be the difference between a new PR and running the same pace.

I'm not saying weight loss is a bad thing and I do believe that if you are lighter you are able to push yourself farther and train harder, but it's almost a double edge sword: you're loosing weight so that's a great thing, but you see positive results so you may lighten up on the things that got you there.

Distance running may not fall under our old track quote in high school that "fat equals fast" but I think it's just as possible as "skinny equals fast."

No Rules, just run!!

If there's a ten commandments of running, I've never seen it and you can bet that Madison Marathon Runner 573 (Michael Johnson) hasn't either. Who says you can't smile and be happy to see your niece (blondish blob on the bottom right corner of the picture) at mile 22? There are no rules to running whether you're just getting off the couch for the first time in a long time or you're at mile 22 of your first ever marathon (or any race over 5 miles in Michael's case).

There are three personalities that make great runners: stupid people because they don't know any better, smart people because they can look at the big picture and learn, and the third are people who don't care, people who don't limit what they can do by putting themselves on a bell shaped curve. Make your own rules, don't allow other people's rules of running slow you down or hold you back. Seek advice and be smart about what you do. If you want proof that rules don't apply, go volunteer a water station at a marathon. I had the pleasure of working the mile 25 water hole at the Madison Marathon yesterday. That's where you see the rule breakers: sure the leaders fly by running their sub three hour pace but then you start to see the running magic. . . women and men, short and fat, tall and skinny, Asics and barefoot, basketball shorts and an Amare Stoudemire jersey, men in all pink top and bottom with the matching compression socks. You try telling one of them some rules of thumb of running at that point and see what happens.

In the last 3 weeks I've found my rule of running, how contradicting is that since I just bashed all rules. Here goes: if you can't smile you're running to fast. If you're not able to smile, you're not enjoying what is truly happening and what you're accomplishing; you're running past the happiness and joy of what you're doing and if you can't smile it becomes work. Running was work for me, training was work for me. It was too much about how fast and how far and at what heart rate did it all happen. I forgot to smile. I've got my running grin back and feel better than ever. I may not PR next Sunday in Minneapolis or in Estes Park the following Sunday, but that doesn't matter, what matters is running.

No pain no gain

If you start to run more frequently or begin training for longer running events you're probably going to have to deal with some pain and discomfort. There's lots of information on injury prevention and how to treat some common running injuries but it pays to apply some common sense when issues arise. Most often a small issue can lead to something worse. Maybe your shoes don't fit properly or are the wrong type of shoe which can cause you to run in an odd manor, which can cause added stress in your ankles or knees which can lead to. . . . if something doesn't feel right there's probably a reason and you should work quickly to find that reason. Usually immediate pain and discomfort comes from the equipment on your feet. If you have some other discomfort like ankle pain, knee pain and hip discomfort right from the get go, it may be old injuries or commonly your body fighting the new activity. Those pains are worth noting and keeping an eye on but are often associated with your body adjusting to the motions of running from not running (when's the last time your ran?). If pain persists or gets worse, don't screw around, go get it checked out.

If you've decided to undertake some longer races and begin running distances you never thought possible, injury becomes more and more likely. There will be times when you have to decide on continuing to crank out miles while hoping an injury goes away or resting properly. I error on the side of rest, but rest doesn't mean not doing anything. I use those times to get on the bike or swim. Most marathon training plans have cross training days built in, if something starts happening with your calf and you need to take it easy for a week, don't be frustrated, try out the bike and see if that doesn't add to the pain. If the bike isn't fine, hit the pool. I find swimming to be some of the hardest exercises and there's virtually no impact. Even if you're nursing a leg injury that hurts if you kick will swimming you can grab a pull buoy and just use your arms.

Here's what I've found as my biggest reasons for getting injured:
1. Too many miles too soon. Don't condense a 12 week half marathon training plan in to 4 if you're not regularly running already.
2. Too many miles on un-even surfaces. It seems minor but the added stress on the side of the body that's created by the lower running surface ends up being major.
3. Running too fast DOWN hills. Hills are great for training but most of the gains are had while going up them. When running down hills all the proper running mechanics you should be incorporating go out the window because of the decline. I'm not referring to minor grades or declines but bigger hills. The added impact from the gravity pulling you down the hill can quickly lead to joint pain up and down your legs.
4. Over-training. A great goal for any race is to finish, but once you've done that it's not hard to start focusing on time and making improvements. I wanted to qualify for Boston at the Minneapolis Marathon. I know I'm not going to do that. It was my plan to run 50 miles consistently. I did it quite a few times but it was difficult in the weeks following those 50 mile weeks to have the energy and strength to continue that amount of miles. Had I done a better job preparing for training in the late fall and early winter it may have been a different story. I also most recently have had some calf strain going on. Training for distance races takes time and because you're out there running a lot, things can happen. Be smart about pains and injuries, use your common sense when evaluating the injury and finding the proper way to treat it. Use the internet to get opinions but don't be afraid to set up an appointment with a sports clinic.

Stay running, stay injury free by not being a dumb-ass.

There's so much more. . .

Finisher medals, technical tee-shirts, water bottles, other running schwag. Those are the physical objects you get to take home after a race. If that's why you race, stop now and save yourself the money. Think of the hardest physical activity you've ever done. . . then compare it to this: Badwater. This is the baddest ultra-marathon on the planet. If we don't consider the time training here is a little bit of what it takes: A crew of atleast 4 people, their transportation to Death Valley, their hotel stays, minimum of two vehicles (one van of sorts to carry everything to support the runner), all supplies that will be needed throughout a 135 miles race for the runner and team. This is the tip of the iceberg. For a more official breakdown click here. What do you think is waiting at the finish line? Answer: your crew, the race coordinator and a few local inhabitants. What do you think you get for finishing such a grueling race? A hand shake, a finisher medal and a belt buckle.

I got the pleasure of hearing Darren Fortney talk about his "Zero to 135 in 5 years". Darren finished Badwater in 2009 and is doing it again this July. He is raising money for Gilda's Club because of their impact on his life while battling cancer. Darren touched on his training, what got him in to ultra-marathoning and his opinion on cancer - "When people ask me what kind of cancer I had, I say, the bad kind. There is no good or bad cancer, it doesn't matter what color bracelet (referring to his yellow Livestrong) you wear." He had great insight and inspiration for anyone looking to accomplish anything. Here were some of my favorite take-aways:

-There is no rule for choosing what distance races you do when. You don't have to start with a 5k the move to a 10k and then a half marathon. Do what you want.

-Use 'and' instead of 'or'; don't decide 'well should I do the Madison half marathon OR the Milwaukee Lake Front?' No rules apply.

-Learn to use the word 'Yes'. Yes you can do it, yes you can accomplish it.

-Be accountable and honest with yourself (there is nobody else watching you!)

It was a great little event and I thank Fleet Feet and Darren for the chance to hear him speak.

There was also a guest in the audience who will be defending his title at McNaughton in Vermont. Ryan Dexter aka the Punisher, will be putting his 200 mile title on the line in a few days. And yes that's a 200 mile.

It's not about medals and shirts. It's about the personal accomplishment.

Cast Away moments

Most of my running routes are the same routes I drive on a daily basis. Often times when I'm driving I can't help but think about Tom Hanks character in Cast Away in the above scene. In the scene he's in his hotel awaiting Fed Ex's big press conference welcoming him back. He's holding a lighter and clicks it on and off and on and off as he thinks about the amount of work it took him to accomplish the same result on the island as his simple click in the hotel.

It's a great feeling of accomplishment driving here to there knowing that I've run that same route. It makes me wish that I didn't need a car and could simply run wherever I needed to go, but kids and life don't make that quite possible, but I'd like to start incorporating less car and more running in to my daily routines that aren't a part of my normal training. Coming soon is take your bike to work week and I encourage all of you that are able to participate. I'm thinking about knocking the dust off the kids trailer and pulling them to daycare before heading on to work. Yes there's extra time that needs to be built in, but it's good for me, a good example for the kids and it beats $4 a gallon gas.

As race season is pretty much here and people are coming in to their final weeks of training, I want to point out a great source of inspiration; for those of you on Facebook join the group 'Couch to 5k'. It's a free running program that sets a schedule to get people off the couch and running a 5k race. The Facebook group is a sounding board for those in the program who are seeking and giving encouragement to each other. I find myself spending more and more time in that group reading about people's personal achievements and growth as they become more and more active. I am also providing as many tips and tricks to people who are seeking some simple guidance. I challenge those of you that are experienced runners to join the group, and find some people that you can help, whether it's simple encouragement or some insightful advice about anything running. The people I've responded to have been very happy for the tips I've passed along. I'm not identifying myself as a marathon runner or triathlete or anything like that, just trying to be a voice of help and reason to help them along. Check it out it's great.

Run-enomics

Government spending, deficit, home values, jobs; what do they all have in common? Besides the fact they suck right now and impact all of us one way or another; I believe they have all helped lead the way to a running society.

If money's tight, gym memberships at $35 a month are less affordable. Yoga and zumba classes at $100 become too much on the budget. People have had to reduce or eliminate discretionary spending due to lost or frozen wages or to supplement a $55 full tank of gas, but still there is a need and want to stay fit. Running has a low cost of entry. Most people have a pair of shoes laying around that they either used to wear to the gym or have run in before. I know when I started running I grabbed some shoes out of my closet that resembled running shoes and off I went. I ran for months that way. I got hooked running that way.

This correlation between crap economy and people running is supported here . The link is to Running USA's 2010 Marathon and Half-Marathon statistics. Since 2007 an additional 50,000 people have completed marathons. 2009 had the biggest jump in marathon completion increase at almost 10% from 2008. The only thing that's better is the increase in half-marathon finishers: in 2007 just under 800,000 people crossed the finish line of a half-marathon, 2009 - 1.1 million. Each year since 2002 there have been an additional 20 inaugural half-marathons. The participation in half-marathons has outpaced the growth of 5k races. That's great news. Of course races have a cost of entry, but if money's tight and we make the commitment to spend $50 on a race entry fee, it makes the training and running of the race that much more important.

With economics there's ebs, flows, and bubbles. Running may be reaching bubble status, but if you talk to runners and are a runner, the economy doesn't matter; running matters. The economy may have indirectly got you in to running but as we run more and more we find more and more reasons to keep running, usually to keep our mind off the crap news that surrounds us.

Daddy Hugs Hustle

A few weeks ago we took the kids to the book store to pick out a couple new books. I helped Emmie find her's and the first one she picked. . . Daddy Hugs. It's become her favorite night time story which she will ask for by name and I can't really say I'm upset by that. Today we were blessed with warm weather and I had the opportunity to knock the dust off the running stroller. I figured Emmie would enjoy the time outside and maybe even take a nap. I was right on both accounts and Emmie and I were able to do our Daddy Hugs Hustle. It ended up being a longer run than I had planned on, so I wasn't really prepared from a fluid standpoint with the hot weather, but I didn't care.

Training plans are organized and scientific to maximize your body's potential in a given time frame for a specific goal. It's easy to get locked in and too focused on what the goal really is. . . to run and finish. We're talking about running a race not rocket surgery. Sometimes it's good to just run and not worry about heart rate, pace, distance, calorie intake, fluids, salt pills and the other things you can start relying on when training longer distances. Don't forget to run just to run. Grab a kid, grab a friend or family member and just get out and run because you want to not because your training plan says it.

Humble pie

The coach of one of the most successful NFL teams in the last decade, Bill Belichick is known for dealing 'humble pie' after every game. Even during New England's undefeated season all his players would note how there was always room for improvement.

Running's version of humble pie is a race. If you want to know where you stand in your training, sign up and give it what you have. I'm over simplifying but shorter races are great measuring sticks for your progress. If your a male and your goal is to qualify for Boston, you have to run a 3:10 marathon. If you sign up for a 10 miler during your training and you struggle to finish at 8 minute miles, there's some work that needs to be done between now and the race. Racing is like all natural butter; there is no substitute for the real thing. Most training plans/schedules include and show when build up races should be run; these are important to include in the training. I would encourage to try and have these be real races, and not just you running that distance as if it were a race. Obviously timing plays a role in that, there may not be a race of the specific distance you need when you need it, but don't be afraid to vary the weekend training schedule to squeeze the real race setting in.

I haven't been taking my training serious enough and it wasn't until yesterday I realized how far behind I am. I set aggressive goals for myself and I think my first goal needs to be adjusted because I didn't put the work in up front. Now I'm left with 8 weeks and couldn't feel farther from a 3:10 marathon. I knew up front that it was a big under taking, but currently I'm not on pace because of lack of effort and lots of excuses. Last year while training for my first marathon I didn't care; I didn't know what I didn't know so there was nothing to slow me down. Now that I've gone the distance and been there and am confident I can do it again I've been less motivated to go out and reach new highs in miles run. I'm adjusting my goal not to accommodate a lazy schedule, but to remain realistic. Here's a strategy for building a training schedule and race plan:

1. Pick your race and distance
2. Set your goal finish time (if this is your first race at that distance, finishing is the goal)
3. Find a training schedule that you feel will help you achieve your goal finish time at the race
4. Take the shorter races that fall in the schedule seriously and learn from them
5. Adjust 1. or 2. based on what you learn from 4.
6. Always be realistic, finishing distance races is a huge accomplishment in and of itself, having an unattainable goal will only take away from the success of finishing.
7. Find a way to make it fun. Training isn't fun, running long distances is not fun; the fun and reward is finishing, it's making it farther than you thought you could go, so you have to find a way to make that hard work fun. I blog, what do you do?

Knowing can be twice the battle

When I was a kid I loved watching GI Joe. Every episode ended with a special message to help you move on to your day, and each message ended with the GI Joe character saying ". . . and Knowing is half the battle." It wasn't until this year's training that I actually think that knowing can make it twice the battle.

About a year ago I was in the middle of my 18 week training for my first marathon. I remember looking ahead to CrazyLegs and wanting to use that as a benchmark for my training. My goal was to run CrazyLegs in 35 minutes, I more or less did it: result (type in griego), and then I ran seven miles home. I didn't know what I didn't know, but that wasn't going to stop me because I knew how hard I worked. Fast forward to today and I feel about the opposite. I know that I can complete distances I never thought attainable so if I'm tired or not feeling 100% it makes it that much harder to get up and do the training that needs to be done. Lately, my excuse is how cold it's been. I've gotten burned out on the 9 degree, or colder, morning runs. I have about 8 weeks to get off this excuse machine and finish strong.

There's a reason kids are so resilient, they don't know not to be. It takes a special person to train at a high level for any distance race and those of us who aren't at that level either have to decide that training is a fantastic way to get in shape and stay in shape and that races are just the icing on the cake, or we have to realize that we can keep making improvements but we can't let our successes slow down our growth.

Mind over matter

Most of you probably have no idea what the heck the picture is of. It kind of looks like the headless horseman or something evil. It's actually ginseng. The main ingredient for penicillin. The reason that's today's picture is because my grandfather was a woodsman. He used to 'hunt' for wild ginseng. Wild ginseng sells for about $350 a pound. Growing up my grandfather had crates of it drying out in a spare bedroom of his house. What does any of this have to do with running? A lot. Last Thursday my grandfather passed away. His mind was still spot on but his body was failing. I had the opportunity to spend his last good day with him. He talked hunting, fishing and even brought up the packers. He was the same grandpa he's always been. He died two days later. The night he died I spoke to my mom who was exhausted after spending the week in the hospital with him and my grandma and her brother and sister. I could hear how tired she was and it made me think. . . I want to challenge myself for a reason. So I put the following post on facebook: "For everyone that 'likes' this post, I will run a mile tomorrow for my grandfather." It took about a minute before 2 likes came through. I shut off facebook and let things happen. I set my alarm for 3 am the next day so I could have time to do whatever I needed to do. I believe that those people that 'liked' the post did so because they believed that I could do it. I woke up at 3 am to 26 likes. So I set out and toured Madison. Here's the route for what I called "Grandpa's marathon".

It was a struggle. I had only gone that far twice previously and both those where the two marathons I did last year. The only thing I could think about was "Grandpa's marathon". I had to get 26. Along the way I realized something. It wasn't fair if what I was doing was just about me, there were 26 people who believed in me that I could do it, so I wanted them to join. I cut the run at 22.8 (call it 23 miles) and challenged those that challenged me to finish the marathon. I don't expect people that read my blog to go out and be inspired to run a marathon, but I thought that everyone could be included in one and all they had to do was push themselves to finish the race for me and my grandpa.

Since posting my results last Friday, I've had people reach out and tell me they finished the race or will be soon. I even got some thank you's for helping them get back in to running. Running isn't about the distance it's about finishing and when you run for a reason, it makes finishing that much gratifying. Thanks for believing in me and pushing me farther than I thought I could go.

For Chester 'Chet' Gilbert, December 20th, 1930 - March 10th, 2011.

There's more to running than running

If you would have asked me a year and a half ago what it took to run half marathons and marathons, I would have responded "you gotta run a lot." It's not that I would have been wrong but what I have learned is that I have a lot to learn about running. You don't have to become as information hungry as I have but I like to play the role of a 3 year old and ask "why?". As I spent more time running I had more time to think, why am I running this far? Why am I running this fast? Do I need to run this fast? Am I training too hard? on and on and on. I didn't become obsessed with answering these types of questions, but I wanted to at least have some reasons other than the parental "because."

I won't bore my thousands of readers with everything I think I know about running now but it's been a process. Just like anything in life, right when you think you have it figured out you uncover something completely new and the process starts all over again.

Before I started training for my first half marathon, I asked a lot of questions of the person who suggested I run the race. He suggested a heart rate monitor. So the same day I decided I was going to run the half marathon I was dropping $135 on a heart rate monitor, I didn't know why but I wasn't going to argue with the person who suggested it who's done multiple distance races as well as Wisconsin IronMan. I didn't get much out of the heart rate monitor at first, it was more of a "oh that's cool, I ran for 35 minutes at 160 beats per minute." It wasn't until after I finished the half and hurt my knee from over training that I dove head first in to learning what a tool the heart rate monitor can be. Now even though I don't constantly look at it while running, it's the information I get from it afterward that is invaluable.

The best example of what a heart rate monitor can do for a distance runner is; let's say I have a special car and I need you to drive it from my house in Madison Wisconsin to Minneapolis Minnesota. I hand you the keys and ask "how long will it take you to get there?" You knowing the general distance or google mapping it can confidently say "about 5 hours." I wish you good luck and send you on your way. Then you sit in my car and turn the key only to find out that my special car has no speedometer, GPS, or gas gauge. Now how long do you think it will take to get to Minneapolis? That's jumping in to distance running, without a heart rate monitor. I'm not saying it can't be done, I know someone who's qualified for Boston, finished an IronMan and has never trained with a heart rate monitor. My point is, there's tools that can make running easier to understand.

It's all relative

I won't try and convince you I know everything about Einstein's Theory of Relatively but I once heard it described as this: if you spend an hour with a pretty girl, it passes in what seems to be minutes; if you burn your hand on the stove, minutes feel like hours.

This makes a lot of sense in running and distance training. The more you don't focus on running, or whatever you're doing, the more you're relaxed and the quicker, relatively speaking, the time passes. My most recent example of this was last Sunday. I had the opportunity to run with a friend. We met up at my mile 1.5, he had already done a couple miles, so we were looking to do about 6 together. Those 6 miles breezed by. Then we broke off and I finished up my run alone. As well as with so many other sports I've done, the more I get caught up in thinking about everything I have to do, it seems to make it so much harder. Basketball; if I keep missing shots I start analyzing and trying to figure out if my elbows out of place or I'm not using my legs enough. I have to realize that if I've spent the hours training at the activity my body knows what to do a whole lot better than I do; so let it do it.

To piggy-back on that last thought; my body is way smarter than me. In fact, my body is never wrong. My body is reactive; if I start running fast and check my heart rate monitor, my heart rate doesn't go up immediately in conjunction with my speed, it slowly ticks up and at the time I look and see my heart rate is getting too high, I slow down, but my heart rate hasn't peaked yet, it's still rising. That's when I know I could be in trouble, especially if I'm at mile 15 of a marathon.

Closing thought: heart rate monitors, gps watches; they are all fantastic training tools and reference tools when in a race. But there is a lot to be said for 'knowing' what different speeds and heart rates 'feel' like. Usually when people are checking their watch towards the end of the race, it's almost a panic; the legs are mush, every step is a struggle, yet they keep looking at the heart rate monitor expecting it to show something that's not there. For the last 3 miles of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon my heart rate was dropping. That sounds great, but it was because I was going slower and as hard as I tried my body wasn't letting me go any faster; but I kept checking that watch thinking that it was going to offer something meaningful to help push me to the end. . . but it didn't, the last three miles were purely me telling myself a great quote a friend said while running the last mile of his first half marathon "I didn't pay $50 to walk!"

Training in the cold

Cold tends not to be the issue, wind can make a difference. Before I go to bed I check the weather and specifically take note of the wind. I don't have running gear to cover my face, so if the wind is blowing, I opt for the bike in the basement and avoid the harsher conditions.

This last week I had aspirations of putting in a few good long runs, but it's tough with it being pitch black at 5 am, it takes that little extra ambition to get out of bed, put all the gear on and get out there, but those are necessary runs to prepare for the real organized training. Here's a link to a great article about the benefits of running in the cold; as you'll read most benefits are mental, but I would say 80% of running success is between the ears and any way to build that edge, the better.

Things to avoid in the winter when running (besides snow plows): slush, ice or even snow on running surface; when you run on these 'variable' surfaces you tend to slip with each stride and this increases the likelihood of pulling a muscle or using muscles in ways you normally don't need to. This slipping increases greatly when that variable surface is on a hill. It takes more effort to run on these surfaces also because some of the force you're trying to use to push yourself forward, slips, making you less efficient. I spend most of my running in the winter on the road because that's usually the driest surface. I enjoy the winter runs, but have learned to not run for time or try to push things because winter running, for me, is really only used to log miles and keep running and not to push my training limits. This is something to keep in mind when selecting races; those spring races sound like a good idea because the weather is great come race day, but keep in mind the weather you'll be training in.

Training 2011 - a mixed bag

My official training for the marathon and triathlon don't start until the end of January, but the needed training will be pretty heavy right out of the gate, so I need to increase my activity. So far for 2011 I've managed to do something every day. Here's 2011 so far:

Jan 1 - 47 minute bike on trainer, average 140 beats per minute, did 18 miles
Jan 2 - played basketball for 80 minutes
Jan 3 - weighed in at 153.5 lbs, played first City League Basketball game of 2011, played entire game of 2 - 20 minutes halves.
Jan 4 - ab workout; 5 different ab exercises, 20 reps each, 4 sets with 1/4 run between sets
Jan 5 - core body workout, 6 different exercises to increase core running muscles
Jan 6 - ran on small track at work, didn't have heart rate monitor, but ran 45 minutes so approximate it to be 5 miles around 150-160 beats per minute
Jan 7 - played basketball on small court at work; basically think NBA JAM on a 40 foot court.

Plan for today - bike on trainer, tomorrow run in the AM.

I guess you can call this pre-training. I've been a little tired this week, but I will blame that on my guilty pleasure of playing video games a little later at night than I should. A little prioritizing should straighten that out.

Lesson learned: it's not always about specifically doing the activity you are training for, but staying active and keeping track of it. Little things here and there do make a difference, obviously I'm planning a more focused training approach of swimming, running and biking once January ends, but in the mean time building up my core strength through various exercises should help me be prepared for what's ahead.

2010 Recap - Fox Cities Marathon

I felt very mentally prepared for this race after having been through the Madison Marathon and it's heat and my poor race plan. However, my body wasn't simulating training like I was expecting. I had a goal time of 03:45, which I didn't quite get: my Community First Fox Cities Marathon Events 2010 - Community First Fox Cities Marathon results

It was cold in the morning, around 30 degrees. The race order was backwards compared to the Madison Marathon, where they sent out the half marathon runners first, then the half walkers, then about 45 minutes later the marathon runners. The course and race was very well put together, everything was in place for a good race.

Once the race started I couldn't get my heart rate where I wanted it to; it was mid 160's right out of the gate. In my long training runs I would come out nice and easy with my heart rate around 150-155 bpm for the first 5-6 miles. Then I would move up to 160 bpm for the bulk of the race or if that felt good ratchet up to 165 bpm near mile 20, then give it all I had the last couple miles. I was able to accomplish this a number of times in long runs and feel good during and after, but for whatever reason my heart rate wasn't cooperating. I kept slowing down and my heart rate would drop a little but never enough. So I made an executive decision, 165 beats was now 155 beats. I mostly made the decision because I was passed by the 04:20 pace group and I wasn't even to mile 5. So instead of falling back more I stayed behind the 10 minute mile group until around mile 10. That was a point of some frustration because I knew I was faster but for whatever reason I able to replicate my long training runs, and I wasn't going to finish a marathon in which I ran the whole time and only beat my Madison Marathon time by 20 minutes when I was forced to walk a portion of that race. So I passed that group on a hill and keep chugging along. I felt like I was picking up the pace, my heart rate wasn't moving much, every once in a while it would hit 170, then I'd back down.

Things went well until at mile 22 while I had a cramp in my thigh. I swore. . . stretched a little and it went away, so I continued. It was a 4 mile run where I felt I was on the borderline of cramping again so I had to be aware of keeping my legs feeling 'loose'. The last couple miles were very tough, I felt I was slowing, my heart rate was dropping but my body couldn't go any faster. It's a strange feeling. I told myself I wasn't going to walk and kept going. The last mile I gave it all I had, it felt like I was running 6 minute miles, but it was significantly slower than that.

Through all the ups and downs of that race and how different one mile could feel from the next or the previous; I ran just over 4 hours and averaged just over 9 minutes miles for the whole thing. If you look at my splits, I ran an even race despite how different things felt as time went on.

Lesson learned: you have to be ready to adjust on the fly, and don't wear a newer pair of shoes that differ greatly from your old pair. I can't blame the heart rate oddity on the shoes, but I can credit some of the cramping and how much my feet hurt.

2010 Recap - Madison Mini Marathon

This is the race that started me running a year and a half ago. In 2009 a co-worker asked me if I wanted to run the half-marathon at the end of August, I agreed, it was August 3rd and I had never run more than 3 miles in a row in my life.

One of the best things you can do when you start training is get others involved. Training sucks, but races are fun. Although your training plan is personal to your goals and abilities they include different types of runs and various speeds. I like to include friends on my long recovery runs. One friend, who signed up for the Madison Mini Marathon but got stuck working and couldn't make it, joined me on quite a few morning runs. We live near each other and the loop I would run went by his house. So I'd wake up and run a loop or two, pick him up, he'd join for what he wanted, then I'd continue. Those mornings were the ones that usually seemed to go the quickest.

The picture above is of 'Lou' and I. He, like me, is newly in to running and triathlons and we signed up to run the Madison Mini Marathon together as well as the Phillips Triathlon. We had a goal time of under 2 hours. We missed by ten minutes but were both very pleased with the result, official time here.

Training tends to be more independent, but it was great to run with someone in the race. It was interesting going from runner to 'motivator' during the race, but it was very satisfying helping my friend get to the finish line. For me it was a great break from the monotony of training and I always enjoy the race atmosphere, especially with a friend.

Lesson learned; getting yourself to the finish line is great, help getting someone else there is amazing.

2010 Recap - Ripon Medical Center Triathlon

My official time. I was pleased with how I did, especially after feeling like I was going to drown with the 500 meter swim. The course was very hilly and a challenge on the bike and the run. Over all it went a lot smoother after going through one previous triathlon.

The biggest lesson I learned; you have to stay calm during the swim. Once you let a little panic or discomfort enter your thoughts, the swim becomes a struggle. The last 100 meters I found myself continually pulling my head out of the water and looking up to find the beach. I even got to the point where I kept trying to see if I could reach the bottom of the lake so I could 'run' to the shore. When I got out of the water my heart rate was spiking, over 190 beats per minute. Once on the bike I was able to get my heart rate down as best as I could considering the first part of the bike was 1 mile straight up hill. I wish I would have had the opportunity to get more time swimming to have remained more calm during the swim. I was, however, pleased that my heart rate dropped and I was able to finish strong. I need swim lessons.

2010 Recap - Phillips Chain of Lakes Triathlon

My first triathlon, a sprint: 400 meter swim, 18 mile bike and 5k run. My result. Most important lesson learned: You may be a little woosey coming out of the water; jumping on to a bike and trying to grab a water bottle, could result in hitting a tree. The bike, a loaner from a friend, was fine, my chin. . . a little scratched.

I really enjoyed the training for the triathlon because it was a great way to break up all the running from the marathon training. Hopping on a bike and going 20 miles per hour felt incredible after months of pounding the pavement running.

Swimming is another story. My only "training" for the swim was doing laps at the end of the wave pool at Monte Carlo Casino and Resort in Las Vegas a few weeks before the race. I just did enough to be comfortable and confident I wasn't going to drown. Obviously, I have a much more structured plan for the swim training for the upcoming Half Iron distance. I am taking a Masters Swimming course. In the Madison area there are a number of classes put on at a number of places. My main consideration in choosing one, is the time of day; early morning I prefer, but also I don't want to take away from too many mornings because they have been great times for me to run. So I'm looking at a one day a week class that will run from 8-12 weeks.

Cycling; well there isn't much chance to bike in the winter, so I have a basic bike trainer on my tri bike. My intent is to couple that in with my marathon training. More to come on the tri training, especially since I'm officially registered for the Half Iron in July now.

2010 Recap - Madison Marathon

Above is me coming to the final corner on the Capitol Square downtown Madison. It was a struggle with the heat, humidity and poor race plan. I can't express how much I learned that day, but the cost sucked!

Official time:
I was happy to finish, but not too happy with the time. I learned a lot that day, most importantly about how to properly start a race and have a good race strategy. Had I found this web page prior to race day, I may have greatly improved, but then again it was hot hot hot.

Training so far in 2011.

6 pancakes, 4 pieces of bacon and 1 cup of coffee.

What's the plan?

June 5th, Minneapolis Marathon. Goal time: <3:10:00. href="http://www.doorcountytriathlon.com/">Door County Triathlon - Can't Bluff the Bluff, goal time: undecided maybe <6:00:00. Others that agreed to do this race - 2.

Races after July 17th, undecided. . . well I will probably do the Madison Mini-Marathon at the end of August since it was that race in 2009 that started this whole running ordeal.

I have made the statement that I am not running another marathon in Wisconsin for the immediate future; reason being that there are too many nice cities in the surrounding states so if you have suggestions or races you are running, let me know.

2011 the year of training harder

With the new year comes new goals. I've made the decision to take a more dedicated approach to training. I have high expectations of what I can accomplish and created this blog to help hold me accountable. As I create posts and share my experiences, struggles and accomplishments please help me by passing along your stories. Maybe I can inspire someone to start and finish something they never thought possible, and maybe you will help me go that extra mile in training.