Long road ahead

Yesterday I ran a LSD run of 15 miles, it was pretty painful.  I knew going out the winds was pushing 25 mph from the south.  I took off running north for just over an hour.  I passed over this dam at Milford Lake and had to take a picture.  The dam is just over a mile long!  As I ran this narrow long stretch of road I realized that yes I could get hit by a truck much easier but more importantly realized this is going to hurt for a long time.  I say that because I'm actually training for a 50K run that is in January.  I'm not sure if I will do it just yet or not.  I have some work things going on and not sure if I can mainly.  So In an effort to run this little "ultra" race I am going to continue to punish my mind and body to go even further than before.  I'm logging over 40 miles a week right now...most of it in one run!  Why am I telling you this?  One to hold me accountable for my goal of running a 100 miler and this is a stepping stone to it.  Two, to make you challenge your self.  Not for some stupid new year goal that you won't finish in the first place but for something worth more than what someone thinks of you.  Push yourself to YOUR limit and then keep going.  It will surprise you into going even further the next time.  Stay tuned for more chaos in my training and other stuff going on around my world. 

My first Marathon

On November 20th I ran my first full marathon.  Little late news and most of you probably know already.  Regardless, I had a great time....so to speak.  I will say in my so called train up for this I only had a few "long" runs on the weekends up to 16 miles.  I thought that this would get me through the race at least and it did.  But, what I didn't know is the unknown...what will happen to my body after I run further than I ever have before (past 16).  I was flying right along through the first half of the marathon, in fact set a new PR in that portion beating my previous half marathon time (also my first half marathon) by a full 15 min!  I was very excited at that point and felt strong.  But not for long....I had to piss at about mile 17 and when I stopped and stood there after over 2 hours of running my body stiffened up!  When I began to run again, my legs felt like tree trunks.  At mile 19 I hit the proverbial "wall" that all runner's talk about.  I had never been there or beyond before in my life.  Let me tell you it was freaking cold the day I ran starting at 21 degrees and ending at 27 by the time the race was over!  Anyway at mile 19 I couldn't even bend my knees as I ran!  It was like I had leg braces on and was trying to run.  I had already felt massive blisters on my feet which didn't help much at all.  Every step I took hurt severely, to the point I was cringing with every step!  I was all alone at this point and started walking for the first time in the race.  I thought screw it as long as I walk a little and then continue running and just finish this race I'll be happy because I immediately knew where I went wrong in my training.  I was so down in the dumps and just wanted to hang it up and stop.  But I wouldn't let myself quit, I will never quit.  I finally got to mile 21 and found water and people.  This was exciting for some reason and I got new energy and hope.  So I started to run again.. a very very slow pace.  It still hurt so much to run with every step, I felt my bones hitting together like a sledge hammer pounding concrete.  I ended up walking and running some of each for the rest of the race at a blistering slow pace....then my blister broke and relieved the pressure on my feet but now my entire body was just stiff and in serious pain.  I ended up getting to the finish line and seeing my wonderful supportive wife and two beautiful girls cheering me on like I was running the fastest race of my life!  But I was not, I was running for me to push myself beyond anything I've done before and encourage my kids to grow up happy and healthy with exercise in there life.  My daughter loves to run and exercise as I'm sure the youngest will also.  I do these painful events for a gut check for myself and for others to hopefully get inspired by and get up off the couch and stop making excuses for them selves to not live a healthy life.  I now have a goal of completing a 50 mile race.  Again just to complete it will be a thrill as I now know of this "wall" that you hit and it sucks...I want to go further than ever and continue to kick down the walls!  Get up and kick down your wall what ever it may be thats making you stop training, quitting, stopping you from taking action toward your next goal in life.  

When you're not training, the enemy is and he wants to kill you!

May not be a human enemy ...could be anything like a deadly disease or virus trying to attack you.  Stop what ever it is in its tracks and TRAIN! 

Today's LSD Run

 

Today I went for a Long Slow Distance run and completed 10.56 miles in 1:30 min.  I didn't get the chance to do the marathon I wanted to do last month due to some work issues having to work on Saturday for EIB training for my guys.  But I'm going to do one the 20th of this month finally.  I am pretty excited about this I ran my first Half Marathon in August completing the North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon.  It was brutal, but I finished it without walking .  It will be freezing here in Kansas when I attempt this full Marathon in a couple weeks but I wont let that stop me.  I'm not planning on a super fast pace but just to finish it.  I'm not a fast runner by any means but want to work my way up to being fast in simple 5K's and 10K's and moderate at a half marathon.  I'm focused on reaching a 100 mile race hopefully before I leave for the "Stan" next year.  This is a HUGE goal of mine and don't know where it will lead me but I want it.  What are your goals? Are you pushing your self to your so called limits?  Or are you doing what 99.9% of Americans are doing and sitting on the coach not lifting, running, or training there bodies at all?  Notice people die every day because they either stop working and have nothing to look forward to in the days after they retire from there jobs or they slowly die sitting on the couch getting fat and unhealthy.  Get up and do something fun act like a kid again, it will bring happiness to your life again. 

Half Marathon post race report

Well this past weekend I ran my first half marathon in Kansas City. If you missed it I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge race. It was a great event, a lot of people showed up all weekend to include Dean Karnazes, he hosted the event and had a fun run on Sunday for the kids. It was only 1K in length but cool...why because my daughter ran in it! It was her first race also. She was so happy and just wanted to run with her daddy and now she talks about it all the time. This is one of the results I wanted from this which will encourage exercise in her life. As for me I finished generally where I expected right in the middle of the pack. I placed 111 out of 217 in the half marathon. I was hoping for a better placing but didn't expect the hills that was on the course. They was brutal! It was a serious challenge that even the regular full marathon runners in the city said the half marathon route was tougher than competing in a full marathon in the same city! I had a great time doing this event and a even greater time being able to take my family with me and running a short race with my daughter who turns 4 in October. I used my Mizuno Wave Enigma running shoes for this event and they turned out to be a great tool for getting me through the race with the cushioning they have and the breathability of the shoe, I was able to have dry feet and feel great.  I am now planning on doing a full marathon October 15 in Kansas City. I will be posting a fundraiser page here tomorrow allowing you to donate to a worthy cause. I see none of the proceeds and they all go to a great cause. So check back tomorrow and tell your friends cause its a great event and important donation that is needed.