Life Through the Eye of a Runner

The Good and the Bad

2012-01-29T23:04:00.003-05:00

It's been a good week of training. I got 4 of my 9 runs in on trails, plus some of the other 5 runs were on trails some of the time. Tuesday was my big workout of the week. I decided, or more accurately my body decided and I just learned to listen, that I would only plan one important workout for each week. I generally plan a second workout of lower intensity or abbreviated in some way. If I'm not feeling it, I don't do a second workout. I do try to get in something longish one day a week, long for me being anything 15 miles and over in one run. This was my adjustment to getting older and my body not recovering as quickly. It has worked pretty well for the last couple of years.

So back to Tuesday, I did 10 x mile with 1 minute recovery. I hadn't done that many mile repeats since the fall of '09. I did the first 9 in 5.58 and the 10th in 5.57. (In '09, it was 1-9 in 5.56 and 10th in 5.55.) I was very encouraged by the workout to say the least. It was a good sign my fitness is coming back from my layoff. Plus, I wasn't too fatigued in the following days, just a little dullness in the legs.

Saturday, Cory and I went back out to Longbottom to do a 17 mile loop up the mountain, across the Blue Ridge Parkway, and back down. It has about 2600' of climbing, so not too tough a run. It passed quickly for both of us and had a little comedy. Cory had just recently run 15 with me out there which was his longest run. At the vehicle I recommend he carry a small bottle, plus I gave him some food to carry. He decided against the bottle since there was one creek to get water at. He also decided on just the Clif Bloks, so just 100 calories for the 2 and 1/2 hours. I said it was doable, but if he got hungry or thirsty, I may not share. It's a little of every man for himself. The final set up is that it was warm at the bottom, 50s. As we neared the top, the temp had definitely dropped more than weather.com was predicting for the top of the mountain. Add the strong winds and the wind chill was right at 30 degrees. (I checked when I got home.) I had gone gloveless and singlet, but thankfully with arm warmers. My hands are very sensitive to cold and were turning various shade of red and white by halfway across the 7 mile along the BRP. Cory ended up carrying my bottle so I could keep my hands pulled up in the arm warmers. Of course he teased me a little about the whole thing. My hard, "every man for himself" side at the bottom had turning into the beggar in the cold. I told him he was my hero for the day. It only sort of evened out as he finished off the bottle on the way down when he started to bonk a little. At the bottom again, it was warm and Cory finished the run shirtless. Cory is going to be a tough trail racer if he decides racing is worth his time at some point. It was a fun day on the mountain even with the severe weather change.

I hadn't planned on it but I went back out to that area again today. I ran up the mountain on the Mountain to Sea trail through Stone Mountain State Park just a little east of Longbottom. It is 2600' of climbing as well. (The Highgear watch I have is awesome.) I was prepared for the weather difference today. I was rolling pretty good too, which I wasn't really trying to do. (Average HR: 142) It was the fastest that I've ever run that trail. I've been getting in some good time in the mountains this month. Hopefully it'll be good for my strength and fitness, but I don't care too much. It has been good for my spirit. I'm looking forward to some racing. I have Uwharrie 20 Mile on Feb. 4, probably the Ugly Mudder in PA on Feb. 26, and the big one, Nueces 50 Mile on Mar. 3. Nueces is the USA 50 Mile Trail Championship and I'm hoping to get my 8th top 3 at a Championship. Of course, 1st would be favorite top 3 position. My 7 top 3 placings are all 3rd.

I almost forgot to write about the bad, maybe that's good. I had a x-ray on Wednesday and the ulna in my left arm is not healing. So 2 more months of not using my left arm. That will take me to 5 months. So now I start a bone stimulator. The atrophy in that arm is becoming very noticeable, kind of comical and sad. If God's yoke is well-fitted, it's not always comfortable.

Quotes out of context:

Alison, "I've already licked myself."

Jason, "Not all goats' beards grow evenly."

Cory, a 23 year old, "I've seen everything."

The original is still the best. Andrew Hinde, "I don't know why dead cows have to go so fast."

I'll Take a Yoke, Please

2012-01-25T23:07:00.009-05:00

Matthew 11:28-30:

Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This passage had come up in a book we are reading and discussing in my Sunday school class. I wanted to take a more in depth look at the passage, mainly digging into the original greek. Then also just looking up information on yoking oxen. (Side note, I stayed at the Oxen Yoke in N. Conway the first year that I ran Mt. Washington.) I found some interesting points for myself and felt like sharing. So let me say first, I'm no theologian. But then nobody probably thought that. Below is just what I found in looking at the definitions of the original greek and just what struck me about this passage. In addition, my last blog was largely a preface for this one. My blog is just me sharing my view of the world. It's a mix of all that is me. I'm a little concerned what some may think of this posting saying, “I've read some of your blog, you're not exactly religious or saintly.” You'd be right in that assessment I think. I claim neither “religiousness” or “sainthood.” I claim that God might like me and I find him intriguing. I'd say we hang out.(Mark 2:15-17) So I think I've said enough on that and on with my thoughts on the passage.

In the greek, “labor” meant work until worn out or exhausted and “heavy laden” meant overloaded or causing someone to literally be weighed down(1). The noun related to this word means a burden, or freight, which must be carried by the individual. I find it interesting that Jesus invites people who are exhausted from laboring and overloaded or weighed down to come toss on a yoke. A yoke is of course a large wooden bar used to link to animals, generally oxen, to pull a plow or trailer. So Jesus was basically saying, if you're exhausted and need a rest, come pull a plow with me? Well kind of.

I had heard sometime when I was young about how oxen are yoked together and trained. Of course now there is the internet, so I looked up yoke and training oxen. Here is some information I found. Two oxen yoked together can pull more than double the combined weight two single oxen could pull.(2) Also one method to train oxen is to put an ox that knows how to pull and work with one that doesn't.(3) The trained ox will teach the untrained ox. All common knowledge to most anyone during Jesus' time. Jesus wasn't offering to make the difficulty of life, or the work the life requires, magically disappear. He offered for us to stop straining on our own and get in his yoke to pull together. Jesus offered to teach us how to do the difficult and hard, “learn from me.” Jesus further described himself as meek and humble. The greek word for meek means a blend of gentleness and strength. It carried the idea of demonstrating power without undue harshness or gentleness without compromising.(1) The “rest” has a meaning of rest that comes after completing a task.(1) It is not a promise of unearned ease, but that of reward from doing the work, accomplishment. I kind of like that. Back to the information I found online, oxen work better when they are compatible; similar size, strength, and temperament.(3) If they're not, it is especially uncomfortable for the trained ox. On a personal note, I'm glad Jesus was meek and humble enough to be yoked with a wild, undersize, and unruly ox as myself.

Finally in the last verse, the word “for” is better translated because.(1) We find rest for our soul in being yoke to God, “because his burden is easy and light.” The greek word for easy more directly means useful or well-fitted. God's yoke is well-fitted. So back once more to my internet findings. Several papers talked about how important it was to fit a yoke correctly. That meant that a yoke really should be customized for specific oxen for the best fit. Otherwise the oxen would pull inefficiently or get sores and bruises. Jesus basically said his yoke will fit properly so the load is light. Again with the greek, the word for light carried a figurative meaning of easily managed or unburdensome.(1)

This study was on my mind as I ran out in the mountains at Longbottom on Sunday. I believe running is one of the things God has made me to do. I hope to get in his yoke and learn. I'm sure I am tough to be yoked to, but God invited so I assume he is up for the challenge. Plus I could use a better yoke than the one I've been using.

References:

Called Unto the Mountain

2012-01-22T18:33:00.005-05:00

Flat Rock Ridge - 3 Miles Up

I was summoned to the mountain today. I hadn't really planned on going out there today, nor really planned anything too specific for my run. Something between 8 and 18 miles, which Alison thought was quite a range. Any mountain run is at least 20-30 minutes away. But Flat Rock Ridge Trail was calling to me. This trail, and the others it links to, is about 28.5 miles away in the middle of nowhere and therefore more than a 30 minute drive. I listened to Mumford and Sons on the drive and by the time I got there, I was bursting from my cage. The air was damp and clouds hung on the mountainside in layers as I ascended through them. I was where I belonged. A changing combination of dirt, leaves, rocks, roots, logs, grass, and ice under foot, all often off camber. Trail runner is probably one of the better descriptors of me. Add in mountain and harsh and you are really starting to have me pegged.

I could probably stop there, but most may not understand what I am saying. I'd consider myself an odd mixture of homo sapien. I don't see it as either positive or negative, it just is. To expand, I once thought I was road runner. I was a runner. I ran quite a few road races. Most of my training was on the road. A road has rather straight lines. When there are curves, they are generally smooth arcs. A hard, stable surface is the norm. Conformity, predictability are the standard. My friends are already thinking that's not him. Nothing against road running, it's just not for me if I have a different choice. Of course sometimes things necessitate road running, but even then I'll sneak of the edge at almost every chance. Deep inside or on the surface, I'm a trail runner, mountainous and harsh.

But aren't trails more forgiving to us? I'd like to think so. I believe trails are gentler on the body. Though, I also believe trails make us stronger. Steep climbs and descents leave legs weary. I like it that way. Weary legs one day will be stronger for a future day. Treacherous footing works our entire bodies and mind. One must always be paying attention on a challenging trail. I like switchbacks, up or down. But I do appreciate a trail straight up or straight down a steep grade, harsh. A good mountain trail can look much different depending on your projection up or down. Those switchbacks can turn into never ending upward turns one after another. Or a punishing acceleration/deceleration recitation on a downward plunge. Eighteen percent grades don't look kind in either direction to most, though I'd beg to differ. A hard, strenuous trail to some is a challenging playground to another.

I think a good mountain trail describes me as a person quite well. I'm not for everyone. I'm not easily definable with clear lines, nor smooth arcs. I think of myself as meek, forgiving, though some would say harsh. I'd say harsh, but in a good way. I'll call it blunt, direct. Don't ask for an answer you may not want, cause I may give it. A good trail does that to me. If I complement or praise, I meant it and it was deserved, earned. I don't throw many things about freely, though hopefully grace like a rain shower. I'm probably full of treacherous footing of pointy thoughts, slippery slopes, hard realities. I contain many a switchback, which may look completely different depend on the direction and speed you come at me. As a trail is not always neatly ordered, I am a mixture of grades and footing, unpredictable. I've come to like these qualities about myself, but like them or not, they are what I am. I am a “good” and “bad” Christian all in the same switchback. I could no more pretend that I'm a road runner than a straight and narrow Christian. Maybe I'm a trail Christian. My path is crooked, more like a good mountain trail. Maybe that's why the mountain was beckoning me today.

Building Milage with Friends

2012-01-17T08:55:00.003-05:00

Not too much going on the last couple of weeks. I've been working my milage back up and trying to work my weight back down. I've gotten in 63 and 71 miles the first two weeks of the year. That was a quick build up from my time off, but I was ready to get running again. Since starting back running my weekly milage was 13, 40, 40, 63, 71. The highlight of the last couple of weeks, and really the whole winter, has been running with friends. Alison and I went out to Asheville this weekend to hang out with Mark and Anne Lundblad. We drove down to the Foothills Trail along the NC/SC border for a long run. We got in 34 miles with about 6300' of climbing in 5 hours and 40 minutes. That was my longest run since July. I was fatigued at the end, but enjoyed running somewhere new and running with Mark. I wish we lived closer and could train more together.

I have also gotten in several runs with Cory who continues to be a "bad influence on me." Telling me all his crazy college stories and then encouraging my foolishness. "The bad influence" comment has kind of become a running joke. Our runs become like not running at all or more like running without any effort or trying. We just meet up and the next thing I know a hour or two have passed, as well as 6, 8, or 15 miles. I've observed that the friendship around running is one of the things I enjoy most about the sport, especially within the trail running community.

I'll leave you with a Cory comment during a recent trail run on which I had another nose bleed. Cory said, "I'm rather envious that I don't have a nose bleed so I could shove some mountain laurel leaves up my nose. Seriously."

A Long Story of a Broken Arm

2012-01-04T10:15:00.004-05:00

My broken arm is my first major incident, well sort of. I did roll off a couch when I was six months old and fractured my skull. Mom said the swelling on the side of my head was half the size of my head. I had a few other accidents growing up, but not much that required a trip to the ER or a doctors visit. I was electrocuted once and not by the electric fence. The power line to the barn had fallen and I stepped on it one evening rounding up cows. I was barefoot as I spent most of my childhood that way. I got a jolt and fell flat on the ground, screaming incoherently. My mom came to see what was wrong and was thrown 20-30 feet. She started screaming for my father, who picked me up, asking what was wrong with me. They did call the family doctor, but no ER or other visit. I just had some legs cramps off and on for a few months. I also got run over by a tractor once. I fell off and the tire ran over my foot and lower leg, but they were just bruised a little. Fortunately, my dad got stopped before he ran over me with the hay baler or I'd been filled with holes. I had lots of cuts, overall minor accidents to me. There a scar on a big toe that I sometimes get asked if I had surgery on. No, I chopped it with an axe. I think we put kerosene on that cut. I cut my thumb basically to the bone once, but didn't even tell my parents until it was mostly healed. I just bandaged it myself and kept going. The worst cut was to my right leg from falling off a corn planter we were cleaning. It has left a 14 inch scar that is 1/4 inch wide for about 4 inches. Mom still regrets not taking my to the doctor for that since it left such a big scar. I did get stitches when I bit completely through my upper lip in 8th grade.

My freshman year in high school, I had what was my worst and most painful accident until 2006. I wrecked a dirt bike going about 40-45 mph. I hit a ditch and got launched head first over the handlebars. I landed head first and then flipped wildly about 100 feet. I'm sure that did nothing to help my future back issues. I rolled a car over once, but it was a very gentle roll over. I fixed that car and kept driving it. I've hit a car head on once which moved my drivers tire into my floorboard space. That car was not fixed. In December 2006 I was hit by a pickup truck while cycling on the road. The truck was going about 50-55 and said they never saw me. It took a hour and a half to fill my face with stitches, but no broke bones. Alison asked how many stitches there were and the plastic surgeon just said, "You don't count when there's that many stitches." I looked gruesome for a while, but even surprised the surgeon in how well I healed.

So about the broken arm, I was building a shed here at the farm. I was using a log for the beam to set the rafters on. I was using two bobcat loaders to place the log on top of the 13 foot high post. The log was about 65 feet long and weighed a ton or more. I had the log braced on a post at one end and had lifted the other end with a bobcat. I was somewhere in the middle using another bobcat to get the log on top of the other post. I was standing in bobcat bucket and had used a pry bar to get the log on top of the post. I had it up and was getting ready to come down. The next few moments seemed to happen all too quickly. I noticed the log rolling off the post and thought that shouldn't be moving, this is bad. A rope had broken at the other bobcat loader. In a fraction of a second the log had fallen. I don't know where, how, or why my arm was under the log, but it was. The log dropped on my arm with edge of the bobcat bucket under it. My very first thought was "I can't believe that didn't break my arm." Then I looked at my arm and it was quite obviously broken, though I hadn't noticed the hole in backside of my arm. The immediate next thought was regret. Regret that I'd broke my arm. Fortunately, I quickly thought the same thing I think when I run, next step. I'd had a flood of thoughts in those 1 to 2 seconds.

I grabbed my left hand with my right, took two jumps to get off the bobcat loader, and told my nephew to turn the bobcat off. I told him that I needed to go to the ER, my arm is broken. As we walked to the house, the arm started to hurt. Scott, my nephew, said later that I just said, "There comes the pain." He ran to the house to get Alison. I walked in and noticed the blood dripping. I looked at the hole and told Alison to get a towel. It was kind of funny that I was giving various instruction of get me water, get me a change of clothes, shoes, and other directions. It was a 50 minutes drive to the hospital I wanted to got to (I don't like my local hospitals for anything major).

That is probably the major details of breaking my arm. The worst part is just regret or disgust with myself for screwing up this badly. The best part was feeling real pain. Nothing that had happened to me before even compared to the pain my arm produced. A week after my arm was broken, the pain was similar to anything before, including the cycling accident. I have a fascination with pain, how we deal with it, how others perceive pain. The ER folks said I had a very high pain tolerance. They said most people with that type of injury would scream uncontrollably. One guy said I should try comedy with the jokes I was making. Seemed like every nurse or staff person was coming by to look. I'd here the ER attendant tell others it was fine to come by as I was okay with it. Not to confuse anyone, I was requesting pain medication when they give me some. They said they needed to wait until a doctor could examine the arm more. It was 2 hours before I got anything and looking back I wish I hadn't been given anything. I was given Dilaudid which screwed me up to the point of not being able to give my name, age, or other information. I didn't like that, I didn't like being out of control of my mind.

After surgery, I took half doses of the pain medication for the first 24 hours, then didn't take any more. I'm just strange as I don't like taking stuff especially if it just decreases feeling, not increases healing. My break was a comminuted fracture with bone loss in the ulna. I looked that up later and a comminuted fracture is a higher pain producing accident. I guess all that is to say it hurt a lot. At the hospital, I thought a lot about a deer that I shot and skinned a couple of years back. It had completely broken a rear leg at some point and the bone had healed back kind of overlapping, leaving a big knot at the spot. I couldn't help but think that that deer never got any pain medication. I'm just strange in some ways. So for anyone who doesn't know me, don't be impressed with my pain management. No one would be impressed with the deer. I'm just sharing my experience and fascination with pain. I had thought some about how much more pain one could experience. Though someone who had experienced a worse accident than mine said that there comes a limit to the amount of pain sensation the body can produce. I did like finding that I could stay calm in a severe situation and handle the pain. I think that if you're really honest with yourself, you know how you'll respond. I was nice to really be how I thought I'd be.

I just think it is good to feel. Whether that feeling is pain or joy or something otherwise. So now I guess my real trial is to deal with my disappointment with myself. I keep flashing back to that first moment of looking at my arm on the bobcat. It's not seeing my arm that troubles me, but that gut wrenching feeling of failure. Alison has commented that I'm not invincible. So I'll have to follow my own philosophy, feel this mental pain and move on with it. Maybe at some point I'll get back to acting like I'm invincible.

Sorting through My Life's Debris

2011-12-25T12:14:00.008-05:00

Mt. Mitchell Challenge 2010 - Summit

Merry Christmas to all, and sort through all your accumulated rubbish. Well that is what I have been doing. My work is mostly all manual labor that really requires two arms, or at least I'm not good at doing it single handedly yet. So sorting through my rubbish seems like a good thing to do with one arm. I would definitely be considered a pack rat. I have kept remnants of my life from early childhood until present. I can't help thinking that I'll want to look the items again someday. Sorting through this has rather confirmed that assumption. So below is some of what I have learned in my perusing my life mementos.

I've forgotten a lot of my life. I found ticket stubs of concerts, sporting events, trips, etc. that I barely remember or don't remember at all. Plus photos and news clips of events I'd long misplaced in my mind. These items would bring a nearly dead neuron back to life with the a unique memory of that time, or at least some false memory I like better. So maybe I'll keep most of these bits of neuron reviving hardware.

If it's still useful, but you're not using it, maybe give it away. Someone might really appreciate my junk. Give to Goodwill, Salvation Army, friends, kids of your friends, kids you coach, whoever. I'm not the best at gift giving, or receiving. I just don't really need much, I definitely don't need more junk. I also don't see the point in getting some random thing for someone. I prefer to get or give something useful or meaningful or nothing. So this week I gave Cory some of my junk for Christmas, here's the list:

A semi-dirt covered can of beer I found in the woods while running earlier this week. Comedy for us.
A single sock of his from a year and half ago I acquired while we were "water tower adventuring." Another good memory, plus don't know if Cory still has the match, but if not it'll unite with another unmatched sock.
A recycled Christmas card. I don't often do real cards, but I do sometimes give someone a card someone else gave me. Just mark through their name and add mine. It's alway better if something good was written in the card.
A pair of La Sportiva Raceblade shoes. I took them off and gave them to Cory after the run we just did on some muddy trails. I wasn't sure when I'd ever make good use of them and they only had 12 miles on them including that day's run.
A pair of Terramar gloves. I actually bought these as Cory had borrowed a pair of mine for a run and really liked them, but is too cheap or anti-gear to buy any for himself.

Cory is strange, kind of like me. You wouldn't know he is just meeting him or being around him sometimes, but if you get to know him, he's strange. Cory doesn't care for gifts much, he said these were spot on gifts for him. Additional Cory info, he basically said recently that his gift to me was running with me and give me his time. I really appreciated that, but both of us agreed that most people would not like hearing him say that to them. For those of you who don't know, Cory is a 22 year old former high school runner that I coached. So lesson two for me was give it away.

My final lesson that I'll share is random mementos reminded my why I live like I do and what I

enjoy about running. Almost all good memories are connected to people for me. Notes, cards, and news clips from or about the kids I've coached remind me of the impact coaching has on

them. Running and racing with friends is one thing I love about my sport. Yesterday, I went to a road 5K to watch a friend and her daughter run. I was watching Stacey race when a guy asked if I had run Salem Lake 30K. At first I didn't remember. He said you let me beat you at the end, you ended up pacing me, and he ran his 30K personal best. I did remember then. I was running it as workout wanting to click off steady 6:10 to 6:15 miles. This guy was running hard going for a best time. It didn't make sense to run with him for 3/4th of the race comfortable and then sprint away from him at the end when he was laying down a max effort. I did remember rather enjoying pacing him. It was good to know that he had remembered that as a good memory too. By the way, Anthony Famiglietti, a two time Olympian and six time US Champion, was there. It was cool to meet him, plus see him interacting and encouraging the runners of all ages.

I enjoyed looking through memories of my running life, seeing things I'd kept from big races and travels. On the personal level, running is about being free, exploring my world far and near, exploring my body's possibilities and limitations, and just being several notches off the normal(see my dumb bio in newspaper clipping). I need to be reminded of my joys while waiting on the arm to heal. Plus after a couple of years of pushing my body in training and racing, I probably needed the break mentally and to renew that internal fire.

Other tidbits:

Alison's quote out of context, said to me: "At least you don't give me any gifts."

A Cory quote out of context: "I've experience about everything." Already at 22.

Arm update: Still broken ;) Last doctor's visit showed that the bone has not healed any yet. Kind of a bummer. Doc said it was not surprising with the severity of the injury. The range of motion is still rather limited as well. I'll try to post soon about what happened and my lessons learned. Thanks for the comments and encouragement on the last posting.

Reports of my Beheading were Somewhat Exagerated

2011-12-17T12:37:00.010-05:00

One Man's Pass - Ireland

It's been a while since my last post. Oh well? I've written some stuff, but never got it posted. I'll

give a quick update for anyone who still checks or stumbles across my blog. The first half of the year was good running and racing. I raced in Slovenia in June at the World Long Distance Mountain Challenge. It was a beautiful place and a purely awesome race, as in brutally difficult. The race was 23.3 miles and was my slowest average pace in any race ever, ultra or not. (I did a write up for La Sportiva on the race.) In July, Alison and I traveled to Ireland for the IAU World Trail Championships. We got in some nice runs in the northern part of Ireland in the days before the race. Then the race was another brutal one, just as I like it. Still my average pace was faster than Slovenia even though the Ireland race was 44 miles. (Again here's the full write up for La Sportiva, if you're bored.) My back started going bad through July and I limped in on the

La Sportiva Mountain Cup. I hung on for 4th in the Cup, but in a sad looking way. Then began the DNFs. UROC 100K in a Virginia was supposed to be the focus race for the fall, but the bad back made me the first DNF of the day, I think. I still had a good time watching the race and cheering friends. I then went to North Face Atlanta 50 Mile a few weeks later for another DNF. I fully expected this one, though I lied to myself in the weeks leading up to it. I had already entered. Alison was running, so we were going regardless. So I figured I'd just as well to start, plus a good friend, Ryan Woods, was running. I went out easy, but that had no positive effects on my back. I regrouped, did some small, short distance, more local races at the end of October. Then broke my left forearm pretty bad on Nov. 2. I'll post a photo at the bottom of this post. DO NOT SCROLL DOWN IF DON'T LIKE TO LOOK AT TRAIN WRECK LIKE STUFF. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

My doctor just said it was okay to start running again after 6 weeks off. So I ran Thursday and Friday. Then raced this morning at a 5K at Pilot Mountain State Park. It was an uphill trail race. I was second. Maybe good motivation to get my fitness back on track. My up coming races on the schedule are a snowshoe race at Beech Mtn. in January, Uwharrie 20 mile in February, and Nueces 50 Mile in March. Probably not much in between. Nueces will be my main goal, hope to run fast and see what happens.

Other updates, I got the head coach position for XC and Track at Surry Central HS this summer. I felt really good about our Continental Divide Trail Race. It was very competitive for the men and I think went well overall. I did a lot of gypsy moth hunting this year, over more really tough terrain. I did have a guy pull a revolver on me. That was the first time I've ever really felt in danger of being shot. The guy was mentally unstable. One minute I didn't see any gun, then the next he's holding one in his hand and waving it around. Another day I almost laid down on a rattlesnake. That's gypsy moth hunting.

Hopefully I'll become a regular at posting on my blog. We shall see.

DON'T GO FURTHER DOWN UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE A HOLE IN MY ARM.

My somewhat broken arm

Training Weeks of February 27 - March 20

2011-03-30T08:23:00.004-04:00

Week of February 27

Total mileage: 70

Races: Nueces 50 Mile 3rd 6:51.35

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.29; Afternoon 5m @8.00 Total - 9

Tue - Afternoon 7m - Track Tempo 3m - 17.15 (5.45, 5.46, 5.43) Total - 7

Wed - Off

Thu - Lunch 4m @7.57 w/ Cory Total - 4

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 50m - Nueces 50 Mile 6:51.35 - 8.14 Avg. Total - 50

Week of March 6

Total mileage: 10

Bike: 22

Races: None

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Off

Wed - Off

Thu - Afternoon 7m @~7.30 w/ Cory Total - 7

Fri - Afternoon 3m @~7.30 Total - 3

Sat - Afternoon - Bike 22m @19.8 mph

Week of March 13

Total mileage: 5

Bike: 136.5

Swim: 2

Races: None

Sun - Afternoon - Bike 15 @17.8 mph

Mon - Morning - Bike 12m @19.2 mph; Afternoon - Spin Bike 25 minutes(=8m)

High Spin(120 rpm)-Climb workout Total Bike - 20

Tue - Afternoon 5m @7.38 w/ HS guys Total - 5

Wed - Morning - Swim 1m @33.52; Afternoon - Bike 23m @ 20.4 mph

Thu - Afternoon - Bike 10m @ 21.1 mph

Fri - Morning - Swim 1m @33.42

Sat - Morning - Bike 68.5m @20.1 mph

Week of March 20

Total mileage: 30

Bike: 16

Swim: 1

Races: Bel Monte 25K 2nd 1:59.33

Sun - Afternoon - Swim 1/2m @17.20

Mon - Morning - Bike 16m @ 20.4 mph; Evening 5m @~7.26

Tue - Off

Wed - Evening 8m - Track Tempo 3 1/2m - 20.13 Avg. 5.46 Total - 8

Thu - Off

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 17m - Bel Monte 25K - 1:59.33

I thought I should get my training up so everyone can see how messed up my training gets sometimes. The right ankle/foot issues from Nueces have been a bit worse than I would have hoped. The pain is on the inside part of the ankle and runs down into the arch of the foot. Running can irritate it significantly. Biking bothers it somewhat and swimming sometimes. Then again it hurts just walking sometimes and definitely hurts some working at the nursery. By two weeks after Nueces, it didn't hurt while running or biking, but would be worse afterward. It was feeling much better last week, almost well. Of course I took a lot of time off. Then I ran Bel Monte. The foot starting hurting a little two miles in and progressed to quite painful by 40 minutes in. The race was quite fun otherwise. Ryan Woods and I ran together for the first 10 miles or so. We were running comfortable(other than my foot) and talked throughout the 10 miles. Everyone seems to think I did most of the talking. Ryan talks a bit too when we run together. Coming down Torrey Ridge trail before the drop off the mountain, Ryan decided to go by and secure the win. He broke Aaron's course record with 1:56.04. I got in under 2 hours with 1:59.33. I think we are the only three to run under 2 hours. I was surprised to run that fast with how we ran the first 1:06. I think both of us could have run several minutes faster, that's only conjecture though. It was fun hanging out afterwards. Alison ran and finished second to Annette Bednosky. Alison hadn't run for 9 weeks, but got in a couple of days the week before the race. We hung around to see my friend, Mark Lundblad, break my 50 Mile course record by about 40 seconds. A fun day.

I've been icing my foot a lot. I found a walking boot and have been using it as much as I can this week. I've been using a lace up brace to work. I've done some laser treatments and DMSO. I'm doing a half-marathon in Boise this weekend, part of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup. I think I'll be fine, it'll just hurt, right?

Neuces 50 Mile - Back to racing smarter.

2011-03-07T10:53:00.011-05:00

Nueces River along the course

Saturday was Nueces 50 Mile, the USA 50 Mile Trail Championship. I had decided to do Nueces after doing Bandera 100K in January. The trails in that area of Texas a fairly technical, being rather rocky. Technical trails help me hang with the faster guys, as I have no true leg speed (look at my personal bests along the right side). I had taken some chances at Bandera with

going out faster than I knew I could sustain. You've got to take chances sometimes, but oncemay be enough. I tend to know my abilities all too well, not many surprises. I was in a world of hurt at Bandera for the last 30+ miles and had no intentions of repeating the experiment at Nueces. I had multiple pages of course breakdown to compute pace over each section of the course. Using the profile map, I figure my time on segments down to 1 tenth of a mile in places. I had hoped to hit pace for the first two loops of the three loop course. Then I hoped to run a faster third loop, but at least not do the trudge of death to the finish on the third loop.

Alison and I drove over from San Antonio on Friday, the speed limit on the two lane road was

70. Then a turn onto a rough dirt road with 8 miles to the race site. It was rolling scrub brush countryside. The land was dry, then we came to the river by the race site. It was still dry all around, but a nice spring fed river cutting through it. We meet up with friends throughout the evening, did the pasta dinner, and hit the bunk house.

The 6 am start required a headlamp with the temp around 40. Soon a guy doing his first ultra was out front and pulling away. Dave James gave chase thinking it was Jason Schlarb, but Jason was back with a group of us that hung together through the first aid station. Alison was at one of the aid stations and said the front guy had no bottle, plus was taking very little fluids or fuel at the aid stations. Dave said he had advised the guy to fuel more. I was right with Steven Moore, a top local runner who I ran with a bit at Bandera. I don't have very good night vision and ended up turn my right ankle a couple of times in the dark, once pretty significantly. Several of us did a bit of talking about who all was there. After the first aid station was my favorite section. It was a rough trail that Joe, the RD, had cut cross country to link over to another trail. I passed a few guys and pulled away slightly. Then out onto a fireroad and the parade went by. Jason Schlarb went by first and I looked at his compact, efficient stride. I knew then that he'd be tough as I watched him run out of sight. Then Steven Moore, Jack Pilla, and Jeremy Pade. Back onto some single track trails and I passed Jeremy and caught up to Steven at the next aid station. All four of us were close through the first loop. Mostly it was Steven and I running together, so of course he got to hear a lot of talking. We did the first loop in 2:13.36 with first place 13 minutes up.

The second loop Steven, Jack, and I ran together mostly. I enjoyed the company as we all talked

some, okay I probably talked most. I really wanted to hold pace for second loop. As we hit each aid station, I saw that we were holding pace well. I thought that some guys have to be starting to slow some now. At the biggest climbs around 10 miles into the 16.67 mile loop, I was still climbing well on the second loop. That was great as my back is almost 100% and I'm finally starting to climb well again. I pulled away from Steven and Jack some, but they pulled back close on the descents. I left for the third loop with a 2:14.34 split for the second loop. I was pleased with that. The first guy had dropped, I believe Jason and Dave were still about 12-13 minutes up. Jack was with me leaving and we stayed close to the first aid station of the loop. I had slipped off pace a little to this first aid station. I hit the rough, primitive trail well and was now on my own. The right ankle was starting to hurt and I really had to concentrate not to limp any. I had slid off pace more at the second aid station but had closed some on Dave to about 8-9 minutes. If I could run the last 7.2 miles in an hour, I'd still hit 6:46. Then I hit the big climbs again and had to walk on steep parts this time. That really added some time, 4+ minutes on this section compared to the other loops. At the last aid station 2.25 miles out, I knew I wouldn't catch Dave. I took a little extra time there, thanked the volunteers, and apologized for being a frantic psycho most the day. I finished up in 6:51.35. Jason Schlarb won in 6:28.26, Dave James took second in 6:43.24. That is my 7^th third place finish at a trail or ultra USATF championship with 4 times being under the previous course record. Not even the bridesmaid like Dave James, I'm the other random person you ask to be in your wedding party. Hey, at least I was at the party. Steven Moore caught Jack Pilla in last mile to go 7:00.07 and 7:01.01. Jeremy Pade also got under the previous course record for 6^th in 7:14.45 and Liza Howard set a new women's record with the win in 8:09.59.

I faded the last loop, mostly the last hour, with a 2:23.25 final split. The right ankle was fairly sore afterwards. It was tough to put a shoe back on after the race. Then it hurt as soon as I moved it Sunday morning, before I even put my foot on the floor. The hamstring on that leg is sore from compensating I think. I think both will snap back quickly. Otherwise, I don't feel to bad. This race definitely proved to myself that I prefer running smart/even. I think I'll be back to finishing races strong again soon as I get more healthy and fit. The Crosslite 2.0 really worked well. This was the first time I've done an ultra in a racing shoe. Most don't provide enough support for me, this shoe is awesome, support in the right places, flexible everywhere else. I've really enjoyed the courses at the two Prusaitis races, tough technical trails. And I appreciate the new friends met at the races.

Me, Dave James, Jack Pilla, Steven Moore

Some great guys, as well as runners.

Training Weeks of February 13 - February 20

2011-03-02T08:29:00.003-05:00

Week of February 13

Total mileage: 57

Races: Pilot Mountain Payback Marathon 1st 3:05.56 CR

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 8m @7.24 Total - 8

Tue - Morning 4m @7.50; Evening 6m @7.43 Total - 10

Wed - Evening 6m slow w/ Abran marking the PMPB course Total - 6

Thu - Afternoon 4m slow w/ Stacey Total - 4

Fri - Afternoon 4m @7.15 w/ strides Total - 4

Sat - Morning 25m - Pilot Mtn. Payback Marathon(24 miles) 4400' climbing

3:05.56 - 7.45 Avg. Total - 25

Week of February 20

Total mileage: 60

Races: Hardcore Serious Trail 10K 2nd 42.15

Sun - Off

Mon - Evening 10m @7.35 Total - 10

Tue - Morning 4m @7.36; Evening 8m @~7.30 Total -12

Wed - Morning 4m @7.29; Afternoon 8m - Hills- 830m@5.23 pace, 700m@5.23 pace,

565m@5.17 pace, 320m@5.00 pace Total - 12

Thu - Afternoon 8m @~7.34 Total - 8

Fri - Afternoon 8m @~7.20 Total - 8

Sat - Morning 10m - Hardcore Serious Trail 10K(~7m?) 42.15 Total - 10

There is a 7th grader who runs with our high school group some named Elvis. His older brother ran at the high school a couple of years ago and Elvis started coming with him this summer. A week or so ago, Elvis asked if anyone has ever run across all seven continents. I said I didn't know of anyone, but I wasn't sure. Elvis said he wants to be the first and asked if I would help crew him. He said that he wanted to be an ultra runner when he gets older. After a little more conversation, he asked me, "Are you an ultra runner?" Yes Elvis, I am. He had been looking on the internet about various extreme running adventures. I'd say most, if not all, of the kids I work with wouldn't know I was an "ultra runner." They just know I run longer races than normal, they're busy being teenagers. It was a fun conversation with Elvis. He asked what I thought of his future plans and if they were crazy. I told him to keep dreaming big things and imagining what it'd be like to do them. Crazy dreams keep us smiling.

Pilot Mountain Payback, Turned into a Race

2011-02-24T09:40:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday was the 2nd year for the Pilot Mountain Payback. A friend Abran Moore is the race director and does a great job with the race. I met Abran to help mark some of the course on Wednesday evening. It was cool to hear how he started running just a few years ago and has already put together a new race. The course runs over most of the trails in Pilot Mountain State Park. The start is down next to the Yadkin River. After a short loop in that section the course follows the Corridor Trail which is narrow strip of the Park cutting through the countryside over to the main section of the Park at Pilot Mountain. This trail is a wide groomed trail that is also a horse trail. At around 8 miles the course heads onto the Mountain Trail, the only "real" trail portion left at Pilot Mountain. It is 2.5 miles of most steep climbing on rocky trail with some tight laurel thicket sections. The rest of the trails are groomed, crushed gravel. There are several steps going up to the summit and around the knob, then rock steps back down to Grindstone Trail. Grindstone drops steeply in sections back to the park office where the course takes the Grassy Ridge Trail back to the Corridor Trail and back to the finish. The Corridor and Grassy Ridge Trail are constantly rolling up and down hills. My GPS watch had the race gaining 4457' in elevation and the distance as 23.5. The distance is probably close to 24 miles. Here's a link to my GPS data for anyone interested: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69276833

So on to the actual race. I am running Nueces 50 Mile on March 5 and was hoping to do PMPB as hard long run. The race is just ~15 miles from my house, but I was surprised at how many people knew who I was. It was nice to have several people cheering me by name during the race. My area is far from a running mecca. Warming up I saw Josh Wheeler, but he was there for the half-marathon. At the start, I got out just enough to check bibs for who might be marathoners. Just one tall, really lean guy was a marathoner. After a big climb and descent to 3/4 mile, several half runners and the lean guy started to pull away. I was just thinking to stay steady and relaxed over to the mountain section. The Mountain Trail is through open woods and as I neared the top I was surprised that first place was still not in sight. I would normally expect to close the gap on a big climb. I had forgotten to look at last years splits before the race, but thought I was running well, thought I was climbing well. At the summit, I heard that I was between 2 and 3 minutes back of first place. I began to reanalyze my race plans. With Nueces in two weeks, how hard did I want to work. To be honest, I felt a little pressure to win being the local and hearing folk's encouragements. I had already planned to go down the mountain fast and free, something I've really worked on in the past year. I continued to question how hard to go over the next twenty minutes, but planned to push a little on two miles of Grassy Ridge, then go harder from 7 miles out.

Nearing the bottom of the mountain someone said I was only 30 seconds back. I assumed they were wrong, but about a mile from the park office the lean guy was coming back to the course after missing a turn. I was relieved. I figured that I should be able to go by and cruise home. I planned to stay steady and I'd break away shortly. As I began to set the pace, he laced on. It appeared that I was climbing easier and descending the steep hills better, but I could tell he had more true leg speed on the flats. The two miles of Grassy Ridge clicked by and the lean guy was stuck to me like glue. I could tell he was working hard, but I could tell he was a racer. He was not going to break easily. As the Corridor trail went by, I surveyed my race strategy once more. I felt like we were standing toe to toe trading punches. I thought I was throwing more punches than him and hitting a little harder. But I questioned if I could keep throwing punches and could he take all my punches, throwing a final knock out. I pondered picking up the pace slightly at 4 miles or hard 2 miles out. Then at about 4 1/4 miles out we hit a long hill. About a 1/4 of the way up I felt him drift 10 yards back. My thoughts were to stay steady and keep climbing. I could feel him falling back more, listening for the sound of footfalls and breathing. No checking the shoulder. I think it is crushing to watch someone pull away and never give even a glance back. A mile latter on some switchbacks, I could see easily back up the trail and he was nowhere in sight. Now what would my new course record be. I finished in 3:05:56 compared to 3:15:15 last year. Compared to last year, I was 2:28 faster over the first 8 miles, 3:32 faster over the middle 9 miles, and 3:19 faster over the final 7 miles. When second place finished in 3:10:16, I noticed he was wearing a 100K World Cup shirt from 2005. He had run for the US Team. He was Mark Werner. I checked him out when I got home and he had a nice running resume. No wonder that he was so hard to break.

It turn out to be probably a perfect prep race for Nueces. The racing was good for the head and I didn't end up sore any. I ran very even which I hope to do at Nueces. I want to be much more of my typical strong finisher than I was at Bandera. I'd rather be hunting at the end of a race than begging for the finish line. It was great hanging out after the race, meeting some new folks and catching up with some others. The race was well done and I'd recommend checking it out if you get a chance. I was trying out the new La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0. They worked really well and I plan to do Nueces in them. Compared to the Crosslite, they are lighter and probably more flexible, but a little more supportive in the heel/arch area. They are also lower profile than regular Crosslites. So I haven't decided whether to do a trail 10K this weekend or not. What do you think?

Canoeing the Nantahala River - February '99

2011-02-18T08:39:00.005-05:00

Coach Mitchell Running the Nantahala Falls '98

Life is surprising. Sometimes the most significant events in a person's life might seem ordinary to an outside observer. What is possibly the most significant event in my life, caught me entirely by surprise. It was a canoe trip on the Nantahala River. It was the moment I was standing cold and naked on the bank of the river. To be more accurate the precise moment was just after I put clothes back on, but it sounds more dramatic to say when I was cold and naked. I didn't see this event coming, but life doesn't always happen as one plans it. So here's the condensed version.

The Nantahala is a whitewater river in western North Carolina. I went there for first time in August of '98 with my high school running coach, who taught me to paddle. I was taught old school, open canoes, not kayaks, no floation. I liked the larger rapids and bigger waves on the Nantahala. At the end of the eight mile paddle is Nantahala Falls, a Class III rapid with a tricky entry and a significant hydraulic at the end. On that first trip I ran the Falls upright and fairly correct, but took on too much water and ended up “swimming.” I flipped the canoe. That was my first time “swimming” in my 8 years or so of canoeing. Coach Mitchell said it was good to finally see me swim, I wouldn't say I felt the same. I went back in February of '99 to conquer the river. You can guess that things did not go as planned.

It was cold, probably 30s, but the river is always 45 degrees as water is dumped into the stream from the bottom of Nantahala Lake on top of the mountain. If I flipped at the Falls, it'd be no problem as it is at the takeout. Fortunately, I was not so arrogant as to not prepare for the unlikely possibility of overturning on the eight mile paddle down to the Falls. I had a change of clothes stashed in a dry bag, just in case. I would not have fared well being wet for an hour or more in 30 degree weather. I set out on the two hour trip with the river all to myself. I rolled through Patton's Run, Pyramid Rock, Delebar's Rock. This river was far too easy, was the water low? I was ready to get to the Falls and conquer, find a more challenging river. Of course, that is when life happened in the form of Quarry, a rapid with some of largest waves on the river. And I had always tended to aim at the biggest waves or toughest part of a rapid. The canoe went half airborne, I had done that before. Only now, the wave kicked the canoe tilted to the left. I knew I was in trouble as soon as the canoe shot up out of the wave. I was out of the canoe and in the water immediately. The tame river just moments ago didn't feel the same as I grappled for paddle and canoe. Getting to the shore was a struggle, the current was strong and volume was high, not low. When my feet found riverbed, they were met with the jolt of stationary rocks as my body was now part of the fast moving current. I finally got to the shore about ¼ mile downstream. I was cold. I grabbed the dry bag and stripped naked. I was colder. I got dry clothes on, packed up the wet ones, dumped water, and prepared to return to the river. Then life really happened and I paused. I had the strangest feeling and even stranger thoughts. It took me a moment to identify the sensation. Then I recognized it, it was fear.

Honestly, I don't think I had ever experienced real fear, at least not since childhood. I was a good paddler minutes before, I was now a sloppy paddler. I didn't act on instinct, I thought, I doubted. I made bad strokes. I was actually not a very good paddler for probably a year. I'm probably still not as good. (Or maybe just a different paddler?) I questioned if I could even make it down river to the Falls. I questioned if I should go over the Falls. The fear grew, I was afraid of what life held for me. I became more fearful about life than about the river. And then I knew life was about to send me a rapid that I was not going to run dry. I was going to “swim.” I prayed a lot on the rest of downstream ride and not about paddling. I believe in God, so personally this experience was God's preparation for me to not get trapped in a hydraulic of life and drown.

For the next hour, I continued to question whether to run Nantahala Falls or pull out above the Falls, give in to the fear and go home safe. Most canoe paddlers don't run the Falls anyway. People are often surprised to see a canoe try the Falls. But another thought began to echo in my head somewhere, “I didn't come here to not go over this Fall.” I did run the Falls, but badly. I'm not sure if I even made a single paddle stoke to orient the canoe correctly toward the Falls. I never had a chance, I was sideway and rolled in the hydraulic like a novice. I did save the canoe from getting wrapped around a rock, but got my hand trapped between the canoe and rock. A couple of new scars to add to my work beaten hands. Deciding to run the Nantahala Falls, knowing I was going to “swim,” was one of my best life decisions.

A week later I was in the river of life, no longer riding on it. I think I swam for years, not a ¼ mile. But the more significant life experience was being on the river, in the river, cold and naked on the shore, on the river a different person, and “swimming” again. Not the Class VI rapid of life that I eventually survived. I tipped over the precipice on February 28^th, the marriage downturn that led to Kathy's and my divorce. Not sure of all the life lessons that began that cold February day. I did eventually learn to deal with fear. I did learn how to “swim” when forced or warranted. I learned that I don't control life as much as I thought. I became more human. When describing this experience to a teenager in our church youth group shortly afterwards, he said, “Welcome to being human. Not to be mean, but its good to see you fall off your pedestal.” I said that I had never tried to be on a pedestal, but he said I was on one nonetheless. I was definitely not on a pedestal any longer. When nerves hit on the starting line of races or doubt creeps in during a race, I sometimes think, “I didn't come here to not go over this Fall. Sink, swim, or conquer.” I say this phrase to myself often with various life experiences. I did go back and run the Nantahala again, almost 7 years later in December 2006. This time Alison was shuttling me, last time it was Kathy. I promise to post that story in March, a little tease. That trip had more life lessons and two unique twist at the end.

My advice is: Of course, run the rapid. You never know what might happen. You probably won't die.

Training Weeks of January 23 - February 6

2011-02-14T07:58:00.004-05:00

Week of January 23

Total mileage: 90

Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.47; Evening 10m @7.50 Total - 14

Tue - Morning 4m @7.44 Total - 4

Wed - Lunch 10m - 6 x Haynes Hill(1/4m ~8%) 1.33, 1.32, 1.32, 1.32, 1.32, 1.32;

Evening 6m @7..30 Total - 16

Thu - Morning 6m @7.53; Afternoon 11m @7.18 Total - 17

Fri - Morning 10m @7.32; Evening 6m @7.28 Total - 16

Sat - Morning 20m @8.34 at Stone Mtn. ~3000' climbing, ~6m in snow;

Evening 3m @8.13 Total - 23

Week of January 30

Total mileage: 40

Swim total: 1/2
Races: Uwharrie Mountain Run 20 Mile - 4th - 2:37.34

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 5m @~8.00; Evening swim 1/2m @18.11 Total - 5

Tue - Afternoon 4m @7.23 Total - 4

Wed - Off

Thu - Afternoon 5m @7.25 Total - 5

Fri - Morning 4m @7.50 Total - 4

Sat - Morning 22m - Uwharrie Mountain Run 20 Mile(20.5) - 2:37.34 Total - 22

Week of February 6

Total mileage: 72

Swim total: 1
Races: None

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.46; Evening 8m @~7.50 Total - 12

Tue - Afternoon 9m @~7.25 Total - 9

Wed - Afternoon 9m - 4m progressive run w/Raul - 6.10, 6.05, 6.00, 5.47;

Evening swim 1/2m @17.45 Total - 9

Thu - Afternoon 8m @~7.25 Total - 8

Fri - Morning swim 1/2m @ 17.41; Evening 6m @~7.54 Total - 6

Sat - Morning 28m @~8.55 - Mt. Mitchell course(Rainbow Tr. to Steppes Gap and down)

~ 4000'+ of climbing w/ Mark Lundblad Total - 28

On January 29th I had a good run at Stone Mountain State Park. I was doing an easy long run up the mountain, about 1400' to 3400'+. It is about 6 miles from the trailhead to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The top half of the climb still had about a foot of snow on the ground which actually was fun to run in, especially coming down. On the way down, I wanted to run more free and condition my quads to downhill running. I was running 5.30-6.00 pace a lot of the last 3 miles. At the bottom I ran up to Wolf Rock and back to get 20 miles. I did a short 3 mile run that evening and felt fine. Sunday morning I knew I had screwed up. My quads were sore, the fast downhill running. I didn't think my legs were that de-conditioned to downhills, but I hadn't done any long downhills in a while. I chopped my milage back for the week, hoping I could get my legs back for Uwharrie Mountain Run. The first race in the La Sportiva Mountain Cup.

Jared Scott came out from Arizona and stayed with some friends of mine. He followed us over to the pre-race dinner. Sean Andrish was there and it was good to talk for a while. We talked about meeting up to do ultra sometime this year. Jared, Alison, and I drove over near the start to camp in our cars. A large truck pulled up shortly after we got there and guy came over. He said not to be alarmed by all the guys running around with rifles, they were doing a military exercise. It rained a good bit on Friday and some overnight. I did a short warmup with Ryan Woods and Scott Williams. The rain stopped just before the start, so the course was muddy and waterlogged. Within the first mile I was settled into 4th. I was by myself all day and never had legs. I was off, it probably cost me one place. Not knowing the course, I kept questioning how slow I was going. I knew I was a bit slow at the 8 mile road crossing. When I hit the aid station that said 17 miles, my increasing slowness was confirmed. Oh well. I had a good day running trails in the mud. I had been thinking about my running lately and it's place in my life and my faith. Here is a apocryphal story (not in the Bible) that I had read the week before the race:

One day Jesus said to his disciples: “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” He didn’t give any explanation. So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could possibly find. After all, Jesus didn’t give any regulation for weight and size! So he put it in his pocket. Jesus then said: “Follow Me.” He led them on a journey. About noontime Jesus had everyone sit down. He waved his hands and all the stones turned to bread. He said, “Now it’s time for lunch.” In a few seconds, Peter’s lunch was over. When lunch was done Jesus told them to stand up. He said again, “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” This time Peter said, “Aha! Now I get it!” So he looked around and saw a small boulder. He hoisted it on his back and it was painful, it made him stagger. But he said, “I can’t wait for supper.” Jesus then said: “Follow Me.” He led them on a journey, with Peter barely being able to keep up. Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river. He said, “Now everyone throw your stones into the water.” They did. Then he said, “Follow Me,” and began to walk. Peter and the others looked at him dumbfounded. Jesus sighed and said, “Don’t you remember what I asked you to do? Who were you carrying the stone for?” - Elizabeth Elliott

I thought about "who am I carrying the stone for" often through the race. Then late in the race I thought I should have picked up a smaller rock. That made me laugh at myself.

This past Saturday I drove up to Asheville to do a long run with Mark Lundblad. We ran a large portion of the Mt. Mitchell Challenge course. We had some snowy sections and few icy areas. I enjoy the added variety of surface. Mark is one of my favorite people to run with. We seem to have similar running styles and paces, which is nice. He either tolerates my talking or likes it. I enjoy the conversation. I think I had looked at my watch twice when I saw 2 hours. On the rare occasions that Alison and I run together, we barely speak. Really Alison prefers to run alone. On a run with Alison this past fall, I commented on her running faster when I'm with her. She said that she doesn't like people behind her. Knowing what she'd say, I said that I could get in front. Alison said, "I don't like people in front of me." Interestingly we talk a lot at other times, Alison just doesn't like to talk running. I run alone most of the time and especially most long runs. I hope to get together with friends for more runs this year and cut some races. I left Saturday's long run feeling recharged and I need more of that.

Training Weeks of January 9 & January 16

2011-01-25T19:45:00.003-05:00

Week of January 9

Total mileage: 10

Swim total: 2 1/2
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Evening - Swim 1/2m

Wed - Evening - Swim 1m @34.46

Thu - Off

Fri - Afternoon 4m @9.42 at Pilot Mtn. SP; Evening - Swim 1m @34.09 Total - 4

Sat - Lunch 6m @8.51 Total - 6

Week of January 16

Total mileage: 89
Races: Charlotte Running Co. Trail Race 13.1 - 2nd - 1:24.01

Sun - Lunch 6m @8.05; Evening 4m @8.08 Total - 10

Mon - Afternoon 8m @8.15; Evening 4m @7.53 Total - 12

Tue - Morning 4m @7.41; Afternoon 8m @7.52 Total - 12

Wed - Afternoon 8m @7.42; Evening 4m @7.31 Total - 12

Thu - Morning 4m @7.43; Afternoon 8m @7.42 Total - 12

Fri - Morning 4m @7.39; Afternoon 6m @7.25 Total - 10

Sat - Morning 17m - Trail half-marathon @~6.27 avg.; Evening 4m @8.05 Total - 21

I believe that is the most sore that I have been after a race. I gain 9 lbs. in 24 hours, basically swelling I think. The swelling in my legs peaked on Monday morning. Not only did my muscles feel stretched but the skin in my calves got to feeling stretched. I lost about 3 lbs. on Tuesday, then lost the other 6 on Wednesday, returning to the same weight as the night after the race. Not all the soreness left until the 11th day. I was 147 on Sunday evening. I haven't seen that weight since an extended injury break in the early 2000s.

The Charlotte Running Co. Trail Half-marathon went okay. My legs were dull and had no pep to them. It was good motivation to do a long tempo effort. I went out easy in around 6th place. Kevin Lisska got an early lead of over a 1 minute and I was never able to run him down. He finished 1.13 in front of me in 1:22.48. It was a good day out some different trails, but races are getting so expensive. I think I'm going to have to cut back on races just because of entry fees!

Local Legend???

2011-01-18T10:52:00.011-05:00

Running makes life interesting or maybe how I run makes life interesting. I think most people who run have more interesting lives. I did my second run last night after 11:00 pm in sleet and freezing rain. Yesterday's schedule got out of whack a little, but I wasn't going to miss my runs. I'm already known as the crazy guy who runs all the time. My family has been asked if I work, since I am seen running so often. Yes I work, I work for myself, so I run whenever, and wherever, it is convenient. So my running times vary, even late at night. It is kind of fun to be asked, "Was that you running at 1:00 am last week?" Yes. Well that story is from about 10 years ago. Hopefully I am working on the local legend that will be "that guy who has been running around here forever." Since my area is small and rural, there are not a lot of runners in the area. Plus most any guy seen running is assumed to be me. I seem to stand out though, bolstered by the fact that I run at odd times, in any weather, half naked, and all around the area. Also showing up in the local newspapers from time to time, the guy who runs absurdly difficult and long races, probably makes me a little more known.

I'm always hearing, "I saw you out..." or "Was that you...?" "Was that you running up Fancy Gap mountain? Or Oklahoma road?" Yes, both are about 20 miles from home. I should tell people I ran there and back, but I want the legend to be somewhat accurate. Of course if folks alter the story over time, I don't have to correct it. I am well known at Pilot Mountain State Park. I do call Pilot Mountain, My Mountain. I think all the rangers know me for running up the road to the top. I know I'm not the only person who does that, but probably the most regular. There are endless remarks about the conditions I'm seen running in or questions if I run in whatever the recent weather was. Yes, I run in any conditions, some I probably shouldn't. I'm a little extra crazy in that department. If it's time for my run, I go most of the time. Example from a couple of years ago when I ran through a massive storm. It was March 4, my sisters birthday, and I had a busy work day. So the run was at night after cake with family, just as a thunderstorm was said to be coming. At 4 miles it started to rain, then a flood hit with absurd wind. The rain and wind were so hard that I could not see both sides of the road, even with my strong headlamp. It was hard enough that the rain hurt significantly. This route is a loop where in the day I can see the road loop back by at the 6 mile point on the other side of a farm. (I'm known at the farm as it a summer water stop of mine.) When I got to 6 miles, there was debris all in the road and trees were down. The wind had torn 200' off a chicken house. I heard later that the chicken house was scattered over 60 acres. I also once tried to ride my bike through a storm that turned into tornado warning. I had to hitch a ride home for that one as I literally could not keep the bike on my side of the road, 60+ mph winds. These experiences make the comments about cold and heat downright laughable.

My experience back in November was one of the best, it was 60 degrees and a light rain was falling. I had run a few miles out from Dobson to do 1 mile hill repeats on Turkey Ford road. As I was running back down after the first repeat. I was stopped by a sheriffs deputy. Yes, pulled over while running. He asked who I was (how could he have not known?) and what I was doing. He seemed to ask expecting me not to answer. "I'm Jason Bryant and I'm running hill repeats." Someone had called about a guy in his underwear down by the bridge on Turkey Ford. Yep, that was me. I was shirtless in short running short. I have often heard that I was seen out in my underwear, many locals seem to think my shorts are underwear. Getting pulled by a deputy was a new one though. The deputy just laughed and said be careful. Hopefully, someday I will be the really old guy out in his underwear. Maybe when I'm old I will literally run in my underwear. And the legend grows.

Addition:

This week a couple of students in Alison's class at the community college told her a story about me from high school. Before I had my own car I borrowed my moms. I would sometimes need it on a work day, but she'd need it after work. Mom would get a ride to work with someone. I would then drive the car to her work, leave it there for her, and run home. It was just somewhere over 10 miles, so no big deal. But I guess another "crazy runner" story about me.

Training Week of January 2

2011-01-12T12:39:00.005-05:00

Joe Pursaitis, Co-RD, Dave James, Dave Mackey, Jason Bryant

Week of January 2

Total mileage: 77
Races: Bandera 100K 3rd 8:57.19

Sun - Afternoon - Swim 1m @34.44

Mon - Afternoon 9m - Track tempo 3.5m - 20.00 @5.43 avg.(5.44, 5.42, 5.42, 2.51) Total - 9

Tue - Off (Chiropractor)

Wed - Afternoon 6m @7.25 Total - 6

Thu - Off

Fri - Afternoon 3m walk/hike

Sat - Morning 62m - Bandera 100K - 8:57.19 Total - 62

Bandera 100K was host for the USA 100Km Trail Championship. I had this race on my race schedule since the fall, then 5 weeks ago it was made the championship. Since then the competitive field really expanded, Geoff Roes, Dave Mackey, Dave James, Chikara Omine, Dan Olmstead, Mark Godale, Steven Moore. The course was a two 50k loop course with short steep climbs and descents. The first 1/3 of the loop had three climb and was technical and rocky. The middle 1/3 was flatter and more runnable. The last 1/3 had 5 climb and was the most technical and rocky. My goal was give myself a shot at winning. So I had decided to take some risk and go out a little harder, which I did. I ran the first loop in 4:05 and I was 22 minutes behind the leader! Everyone when out fast. I didn't try to stay with anyone, which obviously I did not. I was just trying to hang it out there a little more for myself.

I ran most of the first loop in 6th, moving up to 4th in the last 10 miles of the first loop. At 50k Geoff Roes dropped so I was now in 3rd. My legs were not feeling good at 50k, but I thought maybe I got a shot if I can hold a reasonable pace. That thinking was short lived. I closed on David James to the next aid station and then I became a survivor. I had gotten about a 1 minute lead on Dan Olmstead near the end of the first loop. He stayed close to that throughout the rest of the race. He was often coming into the aid stations as I was leaving. I noticed that I was actually doing better on the more runnable sections, which is not typical for me. So I decided to try and gain an advantage on these sections so I could walk more of the climbs and descents. Obviously my quads were shot. The 2-3 foot drops off rocks and the super steep down grades in the last 10 miles were really rough on me. I actually spent most of the second loop tell myself that I would walk in, once Dan caught me. So the stubborn side of me tried to keep him from catching me. The mental games we play with ourselves in races? The second loop was 4:52, ouch. Most everyone slowed about 50 minutes on the second loop. Dave Mackey destroyed the course record by about 1 hour in 8:16.48 with the win. Dave James was second in 8:33.36. I was third in 8:57.19, and Dan Olmstead right behind me in 8:57.42. We were all under the last years course record, 9:16.

I have no regrets on taking the risk, I doubt it cost me a place. Plus I think I learned more about myself. More toughness, there is a limit to this right? Also if I could have run on flat, runnable ground, I could have run another loop and probable at ~8:00 to 8:30. I'm still pondering what that means; poor race fueling, pacing, training inadequacies? When I was in a group early in the first loop, someone commented on the fact we were racing for a top five. I said, "I'm not." I was racing to win. I don't care who is there, I'm not ready to surrender on the starting line. Maybe it's the stubborn, bull-headedness in me or my delusional view of my world. But I'm not going to start giving out congratulatory handshake at the starting line. I'll choose delusion at this point in my life and maybe I can steal a few more races.

Hope to see some of you at race soon. We can all be delusional.

Training Weeks of December 5-December 26, 2010

2011-01-02T15:28:00.005-05:00

No Worries, Photo from December 2006

I was hit by pickup cycling. This is kind of how I started doing ultras.

Week of December 5

Total mileage: 80
Races: none

Sun - Morning 8m @~8.00 w/ dd and Paul; Evening 4m @7.40 Total - 12

Mon - Morning 4m @7.20; Afternoon 4m @~7.20 Total - 8

Tue - Afternoon 30m @7.22 Total - 30

Wed - Off

Thu - Afternoon 10m - 4 x 200, 200, 400(36, 36, 74 - 36, 36, 74 - 36, 35, 73 - 35, 36, 73)

= rec. Total - 10

Fri - Morning 4m @7.20; (Chiropractor visit); Afternoon 6m @~8.00 Total - 10

Sat - Lunch 6m @~7.45; Evening 4m @~7.45 Total - 10

Week of December 12

Total mileage: 62
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.20; Afternoon 9m - Dobson Tempo ~3.4m @5.47 avg. Total - 13

Tue - Morning 4m @7.15; Afternoon 8m @~7.30 Total - 12

Wed - Afternoon 25m @~7.30 Total - 25

Thu - Afternoon 2m @8.16(Very icy) Total - 2

Fri - Afternoon 10m @7.40 Total - 10

Sat - Off

Week of December 19

Total mileage: 80
Races: none

Sun - Afternoon - Swim 1m @35.10

Mon - Morning 4m @7.20; Afternoon 10m @~7.15 Total - 14

Tue - Morning 8m @7.30; Afternoon 6m @7.30 Total - 14

Wed - Morning 4 1/2m @7.25; Afternoon 8m @7.35 Total - 12 1/2

Thu - Morning 5m snowshoe @9.12 - 5m run @7.57; Evening 4m @7.42 Total - 14

Fri - Morning 5m snowshoe @9.34 - 4m run @8.03; Evening 4 1/2m @7.26 Total - 13 1/2

Sat - Morning 12m @7.48 Total - 12

Week of December 26

Total mileage: 55
Races: none

Sun - Afternoon 8m @9.36 at Great Seal SP, Ohio in snow Total - 8

Mon - Lunch Swim 1m @35.46

Tue - Morning 4m @8.40; Afternoon 9m - Stanley Mill Tempo 3 1/2m @5.50 avg. Total - 13

Wed - Morning 4m @8.00; Afternoon 8 1/2m @7.35 w/ strides Total - 12 1/2

Thu - Off

Fri - Lunch 8 1/2m @7.23 w/ strides Total - 8 1/2 (Chiropractor visit)

Sat - Morning 9m @7.11; Evening 4m @~7.42 Total - 13

December Milage: 307

2010 Totals:

Run - 2797 miles

Bike - 363 miles

Swim - 3 miles

Canoe - 1 mile

Seven weeks with no races!!! What is wrong me me? Or right, some would say.

Bandera 100K, USA 100Km Trail Championship, coming up next Saturday in Texas. Probably not the most fit I've been in the last year, but the most healthy since March.

My back is much improve since November 12, had x-rays with my chiropractor. He found an odd kink at my L2 that was unnoticeable without x-rays. He was amazed by the 40 degree kink in my neck. He said that is still from getting hit by the pickup truck a few years ago, Dec. 27, 2006. As you can see from the photo, my face got slammed into a gravel driveway. The driver never saw me, he was doing about 55. I'm also trying to add a swim weekly to help my back, plus adding a couple more stretches for hip flexors and glutes.

Training Weeks of October 10-November 28, 2010

2010-11-30T21:56:00.005-05:00

Week of October 10

Total mileage: 32
Races: Tussey MountainBack 50 Mile DNF

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Afternoon 4 1/2m @~7.15 Total - 4 1/2

Wed - Off (Chiropractor visit)

Thu - Afternoon 3 1/2m @~7.30 Total - 3 1/2

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 24m - Tussey MountainBack - DNF Total - 24

Week of October 17

Total mileage: 34
Races: Ace's New River Gorge-ous(~14 miles) 1st 1:34.04

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Afternoon 2m @~8.30 at CC conference meet Total - 2

Wed - Afternoon 4m @~7.30 Total - 4 (Chiropractor visit)

Thu - Afternoon 4 1/2m @7.00 Total - 4 1/2

Fri - Afternoon 5 1/2m @~8.00 Total - 5 1/2

Sat - Morning 18m - Ace's New River Gorge-ous(~14 miles) - 1:34.04 Total - 18

Week of October 24

Total mileage: 25
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 6m - FRP 3 x 800 with 4.30 rec.(2.37, 2.34, 2.34) with kids Total - 6

Tue - Afternoon 4 1/2m @~7.30 Total - 4 1/2

Wed - Afternoon 5m @~7.40 with kids Total - 5 (Chiropractor visit)

Thu - Afternoon 5 1/2m @~8.20 with Elvis(7th grader) plus strides and drills Total - 5 1/2

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 4m @~7.30 Total - 4

October Milage: 161

Week of October 31

Total mileage: 66
Races: Gibson Park Trail 4.7 Mile 2nd 29.14

Sun - Morning 14m @~8.15 at FRP with Alison; Afternoon 6m @~7.30 with cory Total - 20

Mon - Lunch 4m @~7.25 Total - 4

Tue - Afternoon 9m - 6 x 300 w/ 300 rec.(.53, .53, .52, .52, .52, .50) w/ kids Total - 9

Wed - Afternoon 9m @~7.33 with strides and drills Total - 9

Thu - Morning 8m @~8.00 on Boone Fork Trail with Ryan Woods Total - 8

Fri - Afternoon 4m @~7.30 with kids Total - 4

Sat - Morning 8m - Gibson Park Trail Race 4.7 mile - 29.14; Afternoon 4m @~7.30 Total - 12

Week of November 7

Total mileage: 70
Races: King Make-a-Wish 5K 1st 17.46

Sun - Lunch - Swim 1/2m

Mon - Afternoon 20m @~7.46 at FRP Total - 20

Tue - Afternoon 10m @~7.45 Total - 10

Wed - Afternoon 9m - 3.4m tempo @5.53 avg. Total - 9

Thu - Morning 4m @7.46 with 4 x 100 strides; Evening 8 @7.30 Total - 12

Fri - Afternoon 4m @~7.50 Total - 4 (Chiropractor visit, took X-rays)

Sat - Morning 10m - King Make-a-Wish 5K - 17.46 - 5.44 avg.; Evening 5m @7.50 Total - 15

Week of November 14

Total mileage: 80
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.31; Afternoon 8m @~7.38; Evening - Swim 1/2m Total - 12

Tue - Morning 4m @7.35; Afternoon 9m - 2 x Turkey Ford Hill 1 Mile(~3-4%) (5.57, 5.57)

Total - 13

Wed - Morning 4m @7.38; Afternoon 8m @~7.40 Total - 12

Thu - Morning 4m @7.28; Afternoon 9m - 3 1/2m tempo - 5.46 avg. Total - 13

Fri - Morning 4m @7.34; Afternoon 8m @~7.46 Total - 12

Sat - Morning 18m @~8.20 at FRP w/ Alison Total - 18

Week of November 21

Total mileage: 65
Races: none

Sun - Morning 20 1/2m @7.52 at Salem Lake Total - 20 1/2

Mon - Off

Tue - Morning 4m @7.38; Afternoon 8m @~7.00 with strides(16s) and drills Total - 12

Wed - Off

Thu - Morning 8 1/2 - Pilot Mtn. 2.25m ~9% - 18.53; Evening 4 @8.08 Total - 12 1/2

Fri - Morning 4 @7.52; Evening 5 1/2 @7.50 Total - 9 1/2

Sat - Morning 7m @~7.45 on Tanawha Trail with Ryan; Evening 3 1/2 @7.51 Total - 10 1/2

Week of November 28

Total mileage: 70
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 12 @~7.25 Total - 12

Tue - Morning 5m @~7.20; Afternoon 10m @~7.20 with strides(16s) and drills Total - 15

Wed - Morning 4m @7.20; Afternoon 8m @~7.20 Total - 12

Thu - Afternoon 5m @~7.05 Total - 5

Fri - Morning 4m @~8.00; Afternoon 8m @~8.00 w/ Dave Dunham and Paul Kirsch

Total - 12

Sat - Morning 4m @~8.00 w/ DD, Paul, & Nancy; Afternoon 5m @~8.00 w/ DD;

Evening 5m @~8.00 w/DD & Paul Total - 14

November Milage: 288

A 10 Year Anniversary, Time Flies When Your Having Fun?

2010-11-30T20:24:00.006-05:00

good-bye

nothing dramatic

basically numb like days before

this day; came, and went

though I seemed to have missed it’s passing

this waiting for words

she packed a few things

gradually more disappeared

there never really was a day

when everything was finally gone

for I’m still here,

at least somewhat

the product of

this slow erosion

the disappearing of days

where time doesn’t heal

time, only yields a slow digression

a stripped down affiliation

marked only by the absences,

no harsh words

time leaves no yelling

just a mute leaving

the consequence of

an accumulation of indifference

leaving each

just wanting to ease

no one giving pause

the days passed too swiftly

for some things take time

even to decay

until nothing is left to say

not even good-bye

I like the poem above and think it is one of my better ones. I tried to capture my view of the slow death of my marriage to Kathy. Several people have said they can identify with poem and it's depiction of the collapse of a relationship. I got divorced 10 years ago today. I did it like most everything I do. I was my own lawyer and Kathy's too, I guess. I did all the legal forms for the divorce. At the court date, I was called up to the stand as the plaintiff, though not sure why I was put on the stand. We were doing a very simple divorce, basically stating that we were married, had lived apart for a year, and had settled all property matters. The judge looked through our legal papers and asked me several nonsense questions.

"Do you live on Twin Oaks?"

"Yes"

"How far down Twin Oaks?"

"Down past Shelton Vineyards, about 6/10 of a mile off 268."

"That's a pretty area. Did you grow up there? On a farm?"

"Yes"

"Are you Willie's boy?"

"Yeap"

"You and Mrs. Bryant don't live together?"

"No"

"Your documents look good, take them across the road and register them with the clerk's office."

It went something like that, simple and neat. Except that I tend to grin or laugh in awkward situations, such as on the stand in a courtroom. Kathy was sitting at the defendants table, crying and crying. So you have me grinning and laughing while my soon to be ex-wife is crying. I'm sure I looked a bit like a jerk. As we walked across the road, I asked Kathy why she was crying. She said she didn't know, it just seemed kind of final. I think I said that is kind of what divorce is. Thing is she was the one who really wanted out of the marriage, I didn't. Anyway I found the situation comical, Kathy did as well. We are still friends and talk regularly.

Maybe I

2010-10-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

Training Weeks of August 15-October 3, 2010

2010-10-13T22:34:00.004-04:00

StumpJump 50K Race Strategy or JB Hieroglyphics

Week of August 15

Total mileage: 37
Races: Taos Up and Over 2nd 57.08

Sun - Off, Back very unhappy

Mon - Lunch 9m @~7.24 on Boone Fork Trail with Ryan Woods Total - 9

Tue - Evening 8 1/2m - 3 1/4m tempo @~6.00 avg. with high school kids Total - 8 1/2

Wed - Lunch 4m @~10.00 in mountains Total - 4

Thu - Evening 5m @~12.00 in bigger mountains Total - 5

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 10 1/2m - Taos Up and Over - 57.08, split 35.49 up;

cooldown with Jason Taylor Total - 19 1/2

Week of August 22

Total mileage: 18
Races: Continental Divide Trail Race 10th 46.44

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Afternoon 6m - 4m tempo @~6.05 with high school kids Total - 6

Wed - Off

Thu - Afternoon 2m @~7.30 Total - 2

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 10m - Continental Divide Trail Race - 46.44 Total - 10

Week of August 29

Total mileage: 39
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Lunch 3m @~8.00 Total - 3

Tue - Morning 1 1/2m; Afternoon 5m @~7.30 at Fisher River Park Total - 6 1/2

Wed - Afternoon 5m @~7.30 Total - 5

Thu - Afternoon 8m - 3x 5/2 minute fartlek on trails at FRP; 2 x 600 on grass

with 5 min. rec.(1.50, 1.52) Total - 8

Fri - Morning 6 1/2m @~10.00 or more; up and down mountains Total - 6 1/2

Sat - Morning 10m @~10.00, maybe 12.oo; up and down big mountains Total - 10

August Milage: 149 1/2

Week of September 5

Total mileage: 52
Races: Fisher Farms 10 Mile 1st 1:09.06

Caldwell County CC Inv. Coach's Race 2500 meters 2nd 8.07

Sun - Morning 11m - Fisher Farms 10 Mile - 1:09.06, 6.55 avg. Total - 11

Mon - Lunch 5 1/2m @~10.00 Total - 5 1/2

Tue - Morning 2m @~7.30; Afternoon 8m - Caldwell County CC Inv.

Coach's Race 2500 meters - 8.07 Total - 10

Wed - Evening 8m @~10.20 up and down Fisher Peak from Low Gap Total - 8

Thu - Afternoon 8 1/2m @~7.40 with 4 x 100 meter strides(16.0, 16.0, 15.4, 15.3)

Total - 8 1/2

Fri - Lunch 9m - Bluff Mtn. up @ 12.00, down @6.10;

Grayson mtn. up @ ~10.00, down @ ~6.30 Total - 6 1/2

Sat - Off

Week of September 12

Total mileage: 63
Races: none

Sun - Morning 14 1/2m at Stone Mountain SP - lots of up and down Total - 14 1/2

Mon - Morning 2 1/2m; Afternoon 7 1/2 - 4 x 1 mile with 1 min. rec. (5.49, 5.47, 5.46, 5.43)

@Fisher River Park; Evening 2m Total - 12

Tue - Lunch 12m @~9.15 Total - 12

Wed - Lunch 5 1/2m @~10.00 Total - 5 1/2

Thu - Off

Fri - Morning 8 1/2m; Evening 3 1/2 @~7.10 with 4 x 100strides(16s) Total - 12

Sat - Morning 7m @~9.15 at Hungry Mother SP, VA - up and down Molly's Knob Total - 7

Week of September 19

Total mileage: 30
Races: Greensboro XC Inv. Open 5K 2nd 17.23

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 15m @7.36 at Fisher River Park with high school kids Total - 15

Tue - Afternoon 6m @~7.40 Total - 6

Wed - Afternoon 1m @~8.00(felt crappy and unmotivated to hurt for a slow run) Total - 1

Evening - Canoe 1m on Yadkin River - 30 min.

Thu - Afternoon - Bike 22m @19.5 mph

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 8m - Greensboro XC Inv. Open 5K - 17.23 Total - 8

Week of September 26

Total mileage: 51
Races: StumpJump 50K 1st 4.21.01

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 6m @~7.40 Total - 6

Tue - Afternoon 11m @7.10 with Tanner Total - 11

Wed - Afternoon - Bike 13m @20.1 mph

Thu - Off

Fri - Morning 3m @~8.00 in Chattanooga, TN Total - 3

Sat - Morning 31m - StumpJump 50K - 4.21.01 Total - 31

September Milage: 191 1/2

Week of October 3

Total mileage: 16
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Afternoon - Spin bike 30 min.

Wed - Afternoon 3m @~8.15 Total - 3

Thu - Afternoon 5m @~7.45 Total - 5

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 8m @~7.30 at Beeson Park Total - 8

Blah, Blah, Blah!! It's been a while to say the least. Just posting this in case someone is bored or wants to see my crazy training. Alison thinks my training is messed up, I'd have to agree a bit. I stopped forcing my running over the last few years, I just ended up hurt a bit and raced poorly or not at all. I'm probably still injured a bit, but racing better. Some of the training ups and downs have been because of my back. It has literally been a pain in the ass since April. A lot of the pain is in my glutes, either the right or left depending on the week. Some of the my training insanity has been because of work and working on our Continental Divide Trail Race. Life is a balancing act, so running is a balancing act. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

As for the races, Up and Over in Taos was fun. I wanted to win, but that Bernie Bottecher. The race is pretty simple, up 3 miles at 17%, down 3.5 miles at 14.5%. I had a gap on Bernie at the top, he got me coming down. I was actually closer the results show. Bernie had just gone out of sight when came upon a confusing spot about 3/4 mile from the finish. There was a rope across the road with a sign "closed" on it. There was a bridge to the right and another road going down. Which way should I go? You got it, under the rope. I roamed a bit, until directed correctly under the rope? No worries, I wasn't catching Bernie. After the race, Bernie and I both said we thought about tying and wish we would have, especially me since I was second. So I finished 4th in the La Sportiva Mountain Cup, but got bumped to 3rd Open since Bernie took the top Masters spot. I meet a guy at Taos, Jason Taylor. He heard of me through a friend, Nate Bosey. I stayed in a playhouse in Nate's backyard before La Luz Mountain Race in NM in '07. I meet Nate on MySpace asking for someone's yard to sleep in. Now I just find places when I travel, but that was fun. Jason and I had interesting conversation on faith and church. Our stories were interestingly similar.

On to Continental Divide Trail Race, I ran it. Race directing and racing the same race was tough. I found myself think about race directing during the race instead of about the race. I felt good about my race with the mental absence and general fatigue. Our team, Appalachian Mountain Goats, won the open team division, so that was cool. The Fisher Farm race was part of the NC Xterra Trail series that I won, with two 1st places and one 2nd. The two cross country races were just speed work really, but I ran both flat out.

StumpJump 50K turned into a rather rewarding race. I put together my race strategy, stuck to it, and things turned out well. I wanted to be steady for the first 20 miles. I planned to take the climbs fairly easy through 20 miles, but wanted to really run "brake free" on the downs. I wasn't sure the quads would hold up, but that is kind of the point of racing. I planned to push the last 10 miles and really push the two big climbs in this section. The idea behind the easy climbing early was to prevent my back from tighten up for as long as possible. I also had heat patches on my back and right glute to help keep the back loose. At the race start Josh Wheeler, '09 winner, went out fast and several others were out of sight soon as well. I think I was in about 10th place early on. A few miles in there was a small pack of us in about 6th place(Bryan Dayton, Mark Lundblad, Jay Curwen, me, and maybe another guy or two). At 10 miles Mark and I were together in 4th, 8 minutes behind the leader. I thought then that if I could maintain that gap through 20 miles, I'd have a chance to catch Josh in the last 10. At 20 miles Anne, Mark's wife, said I was 2 & 1/2 minutes from second and 7 from first. I was encouraged that I had gained a little in the middle 1/3rd. I was guessing that I had only 30 seconds to a minute on Mark. I was through the 20+ mile aid station so time to push and be the hunter. I was now thinking in just small fragments of time. I caught 2nd in about 2 miles. At the next aid station around 24.5 miles, I was only 3 & 1/2 behind Josh. I hammered the next climb of about a mile. I figured most guys would have to hike some or most of it, so I ran all of it. I caught Josh on the next descent. He ended up having a rough finish as he walked a lot of the last few miles. Now I was concerned about Mark, I knew he was a threat to run me down. Plus I began to tank about 3 miles out. I held on for the win in 4:21.o1. I had hoped to run a good bit faster. Though as you can see from the sporadic nature of my recent training, I really wasn't to sure what to expect. As I expected Mark finish second. Fellow La Sportiva runner, Nathan Yanko, had strong finish. He went from 9th to 4th in the last 2 miles. He blogged about it at La Sportiva Mountain Running.

Hopefully I get back to a more regular blogging pattern now. I'll try to write something stupid again soon.

Training Week of August 8, 2010

2010-08-18T10:11:00.004-04:00

Total mileage: 50
Races: none

Sun - Morning 4m @8.01 Total - 4

Mon - Lunch 8m @~8.00 at Tanglewood Park Total - 8

Tue - Evening 8m - 3 1/2m tempo @5.46 avg. Total - 8

Wed - Off

Thu - Evening 10 1/2m - 4 x 1200m(3.59, 4.00, 3.59, 3.59) with 600m rec. Total - 10 1/2

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 19 1/2m @7.52 Total - 19 1/2

This past week was pretty good. The back was feeling much better. I got in two good workout and a long run. Then a new week started. Early this week, the back started acting up again big time. Only now the problem has swapped sides???? I am having the exact same issues, it's just on the left side now??? The low back hurts some. But sharp pains and significant weakness in the left glute with some pains traveling down the back of the leg. I had been planning on doing the 24 Hour Championships, now that looks a bit doubtful. I feel like I'm straddling the yellow line, standing in the middle of the road, just waiting to get hit from either direction. Of course then I wouldn't have to worry about what to do. But I haven't gotten run over lately, so why not limp through a race in New Mexico. Taos Up and Over 10K, ~16% up for 3 miles and ~14% down for 3.5 miles. Maybe I'll feel better after that, or worse, or the same. One of those. At least I'm still running even if it isn't pretty. Then again I've never been accused of being pretty.

Training: Week of July 25 and August 1, 2010

2010-08-09T22:23:00.009-04:00

Week of July 25

Total mileage: 60
Races: Tsali Xterra Trail Race 11 mile 1st 1:12.54

Sun - Morning 6m @14.28 on CDTR course with Crystal and Alison Total - 6

Mon - Morning 4m @7.49; Evening 5m @~7.45 Total - 9

Tue - Morning 3m @8.00; Evening 9 1/2m @~7.50 with 4 x 100 strides Total - 12 1/2

Wed - Evening 7 1/2m - Pilot Mtn. 2.25m 18.06 Ouch! Total - 7 1/2

Thu - Evening 6m @7.30-9.00 Total - 6

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 15m - Tsali Xterra Trail Race 1:12.54 @~6.40 avg.;

Evening 4m - up and down Elk Knob (~1100' in 1.3m) with Ryan Woods Total - 19

Week of August 1

Total mileage: 35
Races: Squaw Valley Mountain Run - 3.6m 4th 31.17

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.58; Evening 5 1/2m @~8.00 with 4 x 100 strides Total - 9 1/2

Tue - Morning 3m @7.52; Evening 8m - 3 1/2m tempo @5.50 avg. Total - 11

Wed - Off

Thu - Off

Fri - Afternoon 7m @~8.30 Lake Montez Trail in Soda Springs, CA Total - 7

Sat - Morning 7 1/2m - Squaw Valley Mountain Run 31.17 ~11% climb Total - 7 1/2

The Pilot Mountain workout on the 28th stunk. The back was still getting progressively tighter as I went up. The first half mile was okay, but started to fall off after that. By the end, I was just slow. The Tsali race went okay, there were not any particularly big climbs and nothing long. I was glad. Abnormal for me to be glad there was no big climbs in a trail race.

Squaw Valley went just as expected basically. I hoped for some sudden change, as us runners often do. I was actually climbing very well the first 1/2 to 3/4 mile, right at the front. Then the little twinge in the low back and it was over. I didn't change effort and nothing felt any different except a small area in the low back. But right away the top two guys started pulling away. Eventually another guy passed as the back continued to tighten up the right side and I continued to lose pace. I was actually able to gain some ground back on a couple of short flat sections. I could also gain a little when the grade would first go up, but then tighten back up after about 30 seconds. I am actually encouraged by those two things. It says my back will loosen pretty quickly once the grade levels out. I'll call it progress. Also, I wasn't too bad through almost 3 miles, but slowed significantly after that. Good that it wasn't a long hill climb. I think the back is coming around. At least that got me 5 races in the La Sportiva Mountain Cup. I do planning on doing the last race in the Cup, Taos Up and Over. Alison needs one more race to get in 5 races. At least Taos is only a 3 mile climb or so, then down steeply. In two more weeks I might be able to do a 3 mile climb and I actually look forward to the descents nowadays. My speed is actually good right now. I'll let you know in two weeks.

Oh yea, I should share the story from Friday's run up to Lake Montez. It was a nice little trail climbing up to a crystal clear, mountain lake. When I got to the lake, there were a couple of guys sitting on the big rock by the lake. One of the guys was completed naked. I'm not afraid of naked people and I wanted to

go up on the rock for the view of the lake. Once I got up there, there was another guy and two naked women there as well. I talked to all of them for about 15-20 minutes waiting for Alison to get up as she was just hiking. None of us acted as anything was abnormal. By the time Alison got there, they were mostly dressed, one woman was still topless, the other still bottomless. They were about to mountain biking back down. I took a short dip in the lake and headed back myself.

Lake Montez

Top of Squaw Valley with Lake Tahoe in background

Actually, I miss being Naive.

2010-07-29T21:26:00.008-04:00

This blog comes with one of those warnings. You may not want to read this! Seriously, unless you want a good laugh. I'm not too ashamed to laugh at myself. It's one of those stories folks may want to hear, but don't want to know the person involved. Too bad, it's me. So you choose, read a funny story and know I was a somewhat normal teenage boy. Or skip this blog, pretending I am a normal modest adult. I think the warning is unnecessary, but some of my friends say I tell too much. You've had your warning. So are you going to read this, Crystal, I'm sure you husband Jay is going to bust?

I was a rather naive kid about a lot of things. I grew up in a devoutly Christian home, though not prudish. I was a very trusting child and stayed that way into early adulthood. But life eventually knocked most of that out of me. Many people aren't good or trustworthy, though I do try live with this motto: Trust first, but not blindly. Then forgive those who wrong you. I'm not naive anymore, but try to act that way. I'd rather act as if people are truly good than be a pessimist. I'd say that I am positively cynical or cynically positive.

Okay this is a funny blog, but you have to earn it first with a little of Jason Philosophy. Plus it gives some of you more time to retreat. So my best example of my naivety is my sexual knowledge as youngster. (Run away, run away.) I knew my parents had sex, a lot, but hadn't a clue what that meant. My first real sexual knowledge of any sort came from my sister, Theresa, when I was in the 8th grade. I can still tell you exactly where we were. She was telling me about being pregnant and realized I knew nothing. The only difference I knew of between girls and guys was that girls developed these lumps on their chest. We did have a sex education class one day in the 6th grade, but obviously I didn't get much of an education. (The real funny is coming, but I've got to set it up first. But imagine a 13 year old boy eagerly listening to his

sister explain the basics of sex.) Theresa explained that girls had a hole where I had a stick. You get the rest, or not maybe. Anyway I knew more than I did before. You may ask about friends talking at school, I hung out with the "good" kids. Or basically I had one good, best friend, Jason, and he was about as naive as me. (Jason lived just up the road from me and later got the nickname JL to delineate all the Jasons.) These were the days before the internet. So all this sets up a 16 year old, high school junior alone in bed in the dark before falling asleep.

Yes I was masturbating, though I didn't know that at the time. You only get a few opportunities in life to masturbate without knowing it. We'll say that I was just messing around. Suddenly I messed around a little too much and I hadn't a clue what was happening. My mind began to run wild. What was I going to say, I thought I was a good Christian boy. How was I going to explain this to my parents, the doctors? I had done something very wrong and now, in the dark, blood was spurting everywhere. The end of my stick must of exploded and come off somehow. I squeezed the end hard for those few moments trying to contain the bleeding, but it kept coming. Growing up on a farm, I'd had lots of cuts and accidents that I'd hidden from my parents. I had chopped my foot with an axe, cut my thumb to the bone. Maybe I could bandage myself and hide this, though I'd never spewed blood like this before. This was going to require medical attention. Just imagine the fear raging in this pitiful kid's mind. I'd be ridiculed at school forever, the kid who exploded the end of his stick doing naughty things. I had no clue such things happened. Within a few seconds the bleeding eased up. I got up to turn the light on, afraid of what I'd find. Flick. I could see. I still had a whole stick, but there was some strange white sticky crap everywhere. As I looked curiously at my hand wiggling my fingers, many pieces of the sexual puzzle finally came together. Suddenly, some jokes made sense and some concerns were alleviated. So I hadn't been spilling my seed every time I went to bathroom. I wouldn't someday urinate in the woman that I loved. I'll admit I was stupid. I was naive. I just didn't know anything else. The only thing that had ever come out of there before was urine. No one every told me anything else could spew from there. By the way, I started running about a month or two later. Maybe there is some connection.

You could say I came of age that night, though not completely. I was still uneducated on some things. I'll spare you a more detailed explanation. Though I did learn how I functioned very well over next few months, years. I didn't fully understand the other side until I got married at 21, almost 22. Yes, I was a naive virgin all the way through college. I was a very excited young man on wedding night. There was a show and tell first. The sexual world made much more sense after the honeymoon. I did remain a little naive, Kathy was the only woman I'd even seen topless in person until my 28th summer. Personally, I miss the naivety I once had. Maybe not all of it.

Training: Week of July 11 and July 18, 2010

2010-07-29T08:45:00.003-04:00

Week of July 11

Total mileage: 50
Races: None

Sun - Lunch 4m @7.49 Total - 4

Mon - Morning 5m @~8.00; Evening Bike 16m @20.1 mph Total - 5

Tue - Evening 8m - 3 1/2m tempo @5.45 avg. Total - 8

Wed - Morning 4 1/2m @7.50 with 4 x 100 strides Total - 4 1/2

Thu - Morning 3m @8.00; Evening 12m @~8.05 Total - 15

Fri - Morning 4m @8.15; Evening 4 1/2m @8.05 with 4 x 100 strides Total - 8 1/2

Sat - Evening 5m @~7.40 Total - 5

Week of July 18

Total mileage: 48
Races: Xterra NC Beech Mountain Trail Run - 2nd - 46.15

Sun - Morning 11m Xterra NC Beech Mountain Trail Run 10K (~6.5m) - 46.15 Total - 11

Mon - Off Massage with Michelle

Tue - Evening 8m - 3 1/2m tempo @5.46 avg. Total - 8

Wed - Morning 4m @7.37 Total - 4

Thu - Evening 8m - Hill workout 3 x ~1100 meters(2 up, 1 down) with full

recovery ~5-6 minutes ^3.58, 3.31, ^3.54 Total - 8

Fri - Off (Spent all day laying rock around foundation of the house, tough!)

Sat - Morning 17m @~8.28 at Fisher River Park, much of run with Alison Total - 17

The back is doing better, or at least hurting less. The Beech Mountain Trail Run was interesting. It was the first race of the Xterra NC trail series, I guess I'm doing the series. The course was surprisingly real trail racing. About 3/4 of the course was tight, technical singletrack. They posted that there was about 1500 feet of climbing for the 10K, I'd estimate it wasn't quite that much. But the course ran through Beech Mountain Ski Resort, so it was a mountainous course. There were two younger guys that I was chasing for first 5 miles. I was still not climbing well, but felt okay otherwise. I was warned that the one guy was a flyer on the road. I finally got in the lead at about 4.5 miles, but both guys stayed close. Then one of the bigger and longer climbs came at about 5 miles. I thought surely I can stay in front or get a little lead. Nope, I got passed by one of the guys and could hear that the other guy closed on me. After the climb was another steep, technical singletrack descent. I passed the guy back and built a small lead. Then we came out of the trails and onto the road with about 1/2 to go. The one guy came by and I couldn't match his speed. He beat me by 4 seconds, but I held off third by 16 seconds. Talking to the guys after, the winner was a grad student, Patrick Morgan, who ran a 4.01 mile for Appalachian State in February. Not surprising he outkicked me, but frustrating. Who likes getting outkicked? The other guy, Jared, had run for App State's cross country team I believe. Maybe I'll be able to climb again at some point, but I was pleased with my trail speed. My training shows I'm fit, my back just tights up badly on climbs.

The Gypsy Moth Hunter

2010-07-15T00:55:00.010-04:00

I've been asked what it's like to have such a fringe, semi-secretive job. A restricted few can handle the pressure of the hunt. You may spend days alone in the woods tracking a single moth. Sometimes you think that you've finally got a male lured in, when he suddenly flutters away with shocking speed. You made the mistake of lock eyes. A secret of some of great gypsy moth hunters, such as Martin Killingsbeeworthsome, is the female pheromone carefully dabbed behind the left ear. But one must be careful in using the correct amount when employing this dangerous tactic. One unfortunate hunter was found without pants, reciting Mont Phyton's Swallow Debate, after a pack of males had severely molested both his kneecaps. But it is worth any peril to finally capture an elusive alpha male that you've stalked with out food for 2 to 72 hours. To say my job is dangerous is an overstatement... sometimes.

So on with the real story. I basically hang cardboard boxes in trees with a female gypsy moth pheromone scent and sticky goo inside. Mostly the traps are spread 2 kilometers(~1 1/4 miles) apart along longitude and latitude lines. I had 2000 to hang this year, which is a lot. Some of the work is dull, some not as much. Most traps are hung along roadways in DOT right of way, some are not. I try to contact landowners or at least leave an information card with note for the off road traps. Sometimes I say that I am a professional trespasser. I've gotten good at not getting into trouble with landowners or at least talking my way out of trouble. Actually, I've worked most of the areas for several years so many recognize me and call me the "moth man." Leaving the road though is where work does often get interesting.

First, driving off-road can be interesting. Heck, driving on some roads can be interesting. I drive a small 4 wheel drive SUV for the hunt. I have been on state maintained, or not-maintained, roads that required putting my vehicle in 4 wheel drive. There were ruts knee deep in one road and when I got to the end, there was a stop sign. I've driven up absurd mountain driveways to find a beautiful house out of nowhere. But 4 wheel drive was required to get there and there was no way they went anywhere when winter weather came. In fact, one lady said she went to town only once a month. I drove one road or private road, if you could call it a road, that topped them all this year. It was absurdly rocky, rutted, and steep in places. I got out of the vehicle a couple of time to scout my way through a section. I felt like I was canoeing. One of those places I stopped because it dropped off so steeply I could not see the road over the hood. I could see the stream I was going to drive through 20 yards down but not the road to it. My under frame got stuck on a rock at one point, forcing me to back up and reroute. I did meet another 4 wheel truck creeping up this road. Some of the off, off-road driving is even more treacherous. I was driving up a mountain on an old wood road that got so steep my vehicle would no longer go. That got my heart rate up, but I told myself getting excited was not an option. It was so steep that if would have gotten sideways, my SUV would have rolled over. I had to back down to straddle a small drainage cut that keeps the path from washing out. I knew I had one shot to back it in right or be stuck, or turned over. I got it in right, then out of the vehicle to hike on to hang the trap and get my heartbeat to slow down.

I hike or run to the traps that can't be driven to. I get to see many remote and interesting places doing this, especially in the mountain areas that I work. I see lots of rock outcroppings, streams, unique trees, and other plants. I saw a tree in middle of woods a couple of years ago that with two 12" diameter trunks that joined back to one trunk 20' up to make an unique loop. I was hiking over a steep ridge in a state park this year to come up on a 50'+ waterfall that virtually no one ever sees. There is always wildlife. Deer are just common, but I did get to pet a probably day old fawn in the wild this year. I came up on a doe and fawn, so they both start to run. The fawn was too small and wobbly, stumbling only 10' or so, then lying flat in the weeds. I had never seen a fawn that small. Lying flat on it's stomach it was only 3-4 inches off the ground. If I had not seen where it went, I would have never seen it when I walked by. I squatted by it and it never moved. I stroked its back twice and not a twitch. I was running straight off the side of mountain this year as the last sunlight was vanishing. I spooked three bears who hauled ass straight up another ridge. I wish I ran uphill as fast. There are also plenty of turkey. I nearly stepped on a turkey nesting in the grass a few years ago. I've jumped a hen and her diddles as they run and disappear in the grass. They hide well, too. This year I jumped over a rattlesnake running up a deer trail. I get warned about them often as well as bear and coyote, but that was my first rattlesnake encounter. I had been told you won't see them until you are on top of them. I found that to be true as I saw the rattlesnake as my next step would have been on it. I leapt up and over. The snake never moved. Most of the snakes I encounter do move. In fact, I think that has kind of become one of my skills. Identify critters by the sounds they make moving in the woods. That's a snake, a lizard, a squirrel, a rabbit, a deer, a bear, bird in the leaves, a turkey. I also do that with the insects that crawl on me constantly. I feel something crawling and know if it's tick, spider, granddaddy, or inch worm. Oh the skills of the Gypsy Moth Hunter.

Then there are the people. Go to unique places and you'll meet some unique people. The "ordinary" unique folk are common at this point. This Memorial weekend I was looking for a way to get to an off road trap. I pull up to a short driveway up a mountainside. There is older car parked there. I get out and see a path up the hill. A roughly dressed guy walks down to meet me. I try explain what I'm doing and he says to come up, sit, and we'll talk about. I walk up the path to fully landscaped hillside under the trees. It is mulched with various shrubs and perennial plants. There is a deck with a small fish pond on the side of this very steep hill. He has a small flattened out area with a canvas shelter and a couple of chairs. There are two calico cats lounging. He talks about area as he turns on a fountain in the pond that shoot water 15' in the air. He has tapped into a spring far up the hill, piped it down to create the pressure for his high spouting fountain. We sit and he offers me a beer to join in his lounging. I am fairly sure he is also smoking marijuana. They're hand rolled and their scent gives them away. We talk a little about what I'm doing, but he talks mostly about other random stuff. I finally say that I need to be going, but he invites me back later in evening to sit a while if I'm interested. There is no house anywhere around. Not sure if he lived there or not, but it was obvious he is there often. The whole thing was just really random. I do see many unique living situations. I pass one guy's place every year that is really just a shed/shack. Not sure if he has electricity or not.

I am often warned of landowners, as I inquire how to get to some remote place. Often the warning is of a landowner carrying a gun. Rarely do I have a problem, though it is not uncommon to meet someone with a gun on their hip. This year's gun story was funny to me. I'm hanging a trap at the end of this dirt road off in the mountains. A older guy, 60+, comes walking down out of the woods with an old western style holster and revolver. I explain what I'm doing back here and he says no problem. He's just out for hike. He's say that he is getting some exercise, trying to stay fit. Maybe I'll show up to a race later this summer with a revolver on my hip. I can say that I'm just trying to stay fit... with a revolver. Might encourage some of the competition not to pass me.

Well that's enough stories for now from this gypsy moth hunter. August is coming and I'll back in the woods stalking the elusive brown and white tree killer.

A Male and Female "Playing"

Training: Week of July 4, 2010

2010-07-13T08:30:00.018-04:00

A Mountain Runner Pole Vaults

Total mileage: 34
Races: Grandfather Mtn. Highland Games - Mile, 440, 880, 2 Mile, & Pole Vault

Sun - Lunch 4m @~7.34 Total - 4

Mon - Morning 4m @~7.34; Evening Bike 25m @21.2 mph Total - 4

Tue - Evening 8m - 3m tempo @5.46 avg., plus 4 x 100 strides Total - 8

Wed - Off

Thu - Evening 10m @~7.40 Total - 10

Fri - Off

Sat - Lunch 8m - Grandfather Mtn. Highland Games Track Meet: Mile - 5.08, 440 - ~.90, 880 - ~2.36, 2 Mile - 11.45, Pole Vault - 10' Total - 8

The back is doing a bit better. Pick a cure as I have been trying a little of everything, so maybe it is taking all of it. The new mattress seems to help as does the massages,

chiropractor, exercises, an inversion table, ultrasound, heel lift for short leg, supplements, hair cut, vaulting, and butt rubbing? Okay got crazy there at the end, but hopefully something will work. Hope to gradually ease my milage back up some the next couple of weeks.

The Highland Games on Saturday were a blast. Several of my old vaulting friends were not

there, but a few were. I went up hoping to win overall performer of the meet and big pewter platter. I signed up for 5 events, my first event, the Mile. I quickly noticed a high schooler, Andrew Vandenberg, that I knew

was good. Andrew, and his younger brother, had beaten me a couple of years ago at a 5K. I stayed close through halfway, but wanted to keep it as easy as possible. I split 2.40. The high schooler pushed a little the third lap and hard the whole last lap. I was never more than a handful of yards back and pulled up to his shoulder in the last 100 yards. He surged and I sprinted hard. I won with 5.08 and 2.28 last half. My goose was also cooked, my legs were immediately heavy. I would guess that was worth sub 5.00 on a normal track. I was up to vault in less than 2 minutes. I told myself to just be a sprinter and somehow cleared, but was ugly. Then I had to go straight over to the 440 yard, I was just jogging, 3rd of 3. The winning time only 1.15, but my legs were shot. I had my last lap of Mile under 70. Next was another couple of vaults with no legs and no chance of clearing. Then on to the 880 yard. I was leading at halfway with a pedestrian 1.2o. Another young guy went by and I thought, "The pace is slow, just hang on and you can out sprint him." The pace was slow and I got dropped at 300 out going even slower. The four events had taken place in about 40 minutes. I was done for the rest of the day as soon

as I won the Mile. I talked to Andrew some before the 2 Mile which I ran a little slower

than my normal tempo pace. I did not feel like another hard effort and didn't mind seeing Andrew get one of the small platters for winning an event. It was good to really race something short and fast. I didn't think I had that kind of speed in me. So I feel good about my fitness and cycling often seems to help my speed. My high school vaulter also went up and pole vaulted well, tying her vault personal best. Then she ran the 220 yard and won, a platter for her as well.

MacRae Meadow with Grandfather Mountain in Background

Bagpipe Competition

Heavy Athletics - Caber

Heavy Athletics - Tossing the Sheaf

Fireflies, Lightning, and Water Towers

2010-07-11T20:47:00.006-04:00

Dancing with Fire Flys

went walking nude tonight

an inadequacy of enough drink

watching fire flys in the night

this provocation to reflect and think

life is complex and confused

it’s good i got a clear head.

you know, i sure wish my ass glowed

I have a group of poems that I call 7 Lines of Foolishness, maybe that's what I should call my blog sometimes. Anyway, guess what, this is one of those poems. I have thought of the poem several times over past month as summer and fireflies have returned. I say the last line to Alison periodically and to myself or God often. Depending on your perspective, it's either a good thing or bad thing that God does not answer this prayer. Some of you must admit it would be pretty cool though. I would be the King of mooning. One other firefly story from a couple of years ago. I was on a night run up and back on Twin Oaks road, when I pass through a drove of fireflies. I had never seen that many fireflies at one time in one place before, nor have I since. There literally had to be tens of thousands fireflies. It was a truly remarkable sight. Just another reason to do things differently from most people, such as running at night.

Which speaking of doing different things. I climbed a water tower again this week. Someone asked if I wanted to join them and I couldn't resist. I had been thinking of climbing one somewhere again as it had been quite a few years since I had done that. The conditions might not have been best, or could have been considered perfect, as there were thunderstorms in the area. As we met for our middle of the night excursion, we quickly decided lightning was a minor and worthwhile risk. We got some popsicles and headed for the tower. No better place to eat popsicles. This was first time I had ever climbed with someone. As he said, you need to choose the right person for such an activity or you're better off alone. Viewing the distant lightning from the high vantage point was quite a show. I plan to still sneak skyward periodically when I'm 80 or 90. There is just something exciting about being so high above everything around and being unrestrained. I don't think it is for everyone. But as my friend and I discussed, we enjoy the sensation of our hearts pounding and gripping things more tightly than normal. Furthermore, maybe I get a different view of my world from this rarely seen viewpoint, literally and metaphorically. It's good to survey our surroundings from an unique perspective sometimes.

Maybe someday my ass will begin to flicker in the night. I'll keep asking.

The Highs and Lows of the Past Month or So of Running

2010-07-07T09:24:00.006-04:00

In typing up my running milage from the past several weeks, it was fairly frustrating to look back at my messed up training. My training log, which is a Curious George calendar and has been for quite a number of years, had as much info on what hurt as what I had been doing running. But it was also good to see all the notes of "good run", "fun run". Those were all runs that I had done with friends. Almost every time that we run together, Cory says that it is almost like not running. I have to agree. I did a 3 hour and 45 minute run with Mark Lundblad at the end of May. It felt more like an hour. My back felt good that day, or maybe I was enjoying Mark's company too much to notice the back. Then Mt. Washington was a disaster, but a fun weekend. I ran with a friend, Shiloh, on Friday before the race and warming up before the race. Then we lamented our poor performances after the race. Shiloh is a fun guy to hang out and run with. Alison and I stayed with a couple in their 70s, Richard and Joann Fedion. They are a blast. I could write a whole blog on them, but I don't think it would do justice unless you know them. Also at Mt. Washington, I got to visit and talk with several other running friends. Several of us went to dinner together that evening after the race. The mountain running scene is a great group of people. An added bonus is that Jacqueline Gareau, Boston Marathon winner 1980, was assigned to ride down with us. Alison and I ended up hanging out with her on Friday evening, then Saturday before and after the race. Maybe I could say we're friends with Jacqueline Gareau. The people and friends I interact with around running are a big high, so much so that the lows don't seem as bad. I admire the CMS crowd as I read Dave Dunham's blog and blogs of some other CMS guys. Sounds like they have a lot of fun.

Anyway, on with a quick recap of my actual running and racing. At Rock2Rock, my back and right glute were feeling better. I climbed well as I hit the top very close to last years split, but I didn't have the legs to descend. But third was still helpful for my Mountain Cup standings. By RothRock Challenge I was feeling a good bit better physically. Michael Selig was there and I knew that I basically had to beat him to have any hopes of top 3 in the Mountain Cup. The course was tougher than I expected, which I didn't mind. The first climb came early and was steep. I was close to Matt Byrne on most of the climb, but had decided to take it a little easier early in the race. So he pulled away a little at the top of the climb. I expected the race to take close to 3 hours and I wanted to be running well in the last hour, not just the first. Reaching the first descent I knew this should be a good course for me. It was steep and overly technical, super rocky. I closed on Matt on this descent. Then there were several rolling miles, some technical, some very runnable. So not being a guy with speed, Selig caught me. We went back and forth for several miles, me pulling away on the climbs, Selig overtaking me on the descents. The 3 miles leading up to the aid at 12.8 were gentle rolling and very runnable. Selig went by early and I thought of trying to hang on to him. That thought was brief as I knew I'd be straining to match his speed. I thought, "Just be Jason and run your own race. That will be sufficient or it won't, but that's how you'll run best." I knew Selig was building a significant lead. During this part, I was really thinking that my Mountain Cup year was over. I thought of just running in, obviously I was struggling mentally. I prayed some as normal and the thought hit me that just running in was not very glorifying. I had to give my best and let the results be whatever they were.

The final descent into the aid at 12.8 was crazy, kind of scooting down on you butt stuff. The climb out from there was crazier. It was just a long boulder climb. I was told that I was 1.30 behind Selig and 3.00 back of Matt and the other guy. I could hardly imagine that I was making time on anyone here, but I kept telling myself that I good at this stuff. Sure enough I made up like 1.15 on Selig in about 1 1/2 miles. The next 1 1/2 miles Selig pulled away a little again down to the last aid station. From there it was a 5K to the finish with about a 9% 1 mile climb, then a mostly down and runnable 2 miles. I didn't think my chances of beating Selig were good with the down finish. I was climbing quite well and caught him near the top of the climb. As soon as I passed him, I looked up to see Matt Byrne. I went by and kept the hammer down on the final part of the climb. Then I knew the last 2 miles were not my thing, but more my thing after a couple hours harsh climbs and descents. I just kept scream inside to run crazy, reckless. Surprisingly, I held onto second and kept my Mountain Cup chances alive. I did that last ~5K in just over 19 minutes. I ran straight thru the finish, out a pier, and into the lake. I had been thinking about the lake since the middle of the race. I left RothRock feeling good about where I was at.

Now for the lows. My body didn't seem to leave RothRock in as good a condition as my mind. The next two weeks didn't go so well. My back was getting progressively achier. By Mt. Washington I was quite unsure what to expect, but got myself believing in the possiblity of a good race on the drive up. You have to believe. I didn't start as well as I'd have liked, but kept believing until just past mile 2. I felt the right side of my low back tremble, that is never good. I had slowed 1 minute in mile 3 off what I'd have expected. My back just got tighter and I got slower. It was downright laughable by mile 5. It was the 50th Mt. Washington and I wanted to finish. Glorifying to God? I don't know, but maybe. It was all my body had that day. Maybe I need to clearly see my frailty some days. I can live with it. I did run from the bottom to the top. So a running high or low?

The back is still exerting its control on my running. When it's okay, I can run good workouts. Some better than last year at this time or ever, some tempo I've done since 1989. When it's really unhappy, I just take the day off. I'm fit, just not so healthy. I'm seeing two chiroprators, one is Ryan Woods the Mountain Cup leader at this point. I've got a massage or two, plus some self massage. Icing. Bought a sleep number mattress. It'll come around at some point. So that's my running story and I'm sticking to it.

Training: May 23 - July 3

2010-07-05T12:40:00.006-04:00

Week of May 23

Total mileage: 64 1/2
Races: Rock2Rock 10K 3rd 47.18

Sun - Hike La Luz trail in Sandia Mountain east of Albuquerque

Mon - Lunch 2m @~8.00 Total - 2

Tue - Evening 8m @~8.00 Total - 8

Wed - Morning 8m Beech Mtn. ~9% - 3m in 24.10; Evening 4m @~8.00 Total - 12

Thu - Evening 6m @7.35 Total - 3

Fri - Evening 10 1/2m Rock2Rock 10K 47.18 Total - 10 1/2

Sat - Morning 26m @~8.39 Bent Creek Trails with Mark Lundblad Total - 26

Week of May 30

Total mileage: 62
Races: RothRock Challenge 30K 2nd 2:51.33

Sun - Lunch 6 1/2m @~8.30 Total - 6 1/2

Mon - Lunch 12 1/2m @~8.30 Total - 12 1/2

Tue - Evening 6 1/2m @~8.00 Total - 6 1/2

Wed - Evening 2m @7.37 Total - 2

Thu - Morning 9m Pilot Mtn. workout 5 x 1/2m & 1 x 1/4m going up mtn.

(1/2-3.12, 1-3.32, 1 1/2-3.45, 2-3.38, 2 1/4-1.48); Evening 5 @7.45 Total - 14

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 20 1/2m @~8.39 RothRock Challenge 30K(18.9m) 2:51.33 Total - 20 1/2

Week of June 6

Total mileage: Run 50; Bike 20
Races: None

Sun - Morning 5m @~9.00 Total - 5

Mon - Morning Bike 20m @17.2 mph; Evening Aqua jog 45.00

Tue - Evening 7m @~8.09 Total - 7

Wed - Evening 5m @~9.00 at Continental Divide race course Total - 5

Thu - Morning 4m @~8.30; Evening 7m @9.45 at Continental Divide race course Total - 11

Fri - Morning 4 1/2 @8.12 with strides; Evening 8 1/2m @8.05 Total - 13

Sat - Morning 4m @7.59; Evening 5m @7.55 Total - 9

Week of June 13

Total mileage: 27
Races: None? Or Mt. Washington 59th 1:16.28 - Whew, that smells!

Sun - Morning 8 1/2 Pilot Mtn. 2.25 17.52(Not so good.) Total - 8 1/2

Mon - Off

Tue - Evening 5m - Tempo 10 minute(slow) Total - 5

Wed - Off

Thu - Off

Fri - Lunch 4m @~8.00 with Shiloh in NH

Sat - Morning 9 1/2m Mt. Washington 1:16.28 Total - 9 1/2

Week of June 20

Total mileage: Run 16; Bike 114
Races: None

Sun - Off

Mon - Evening Bike 19m @20.1 mph

Tue - Evening 8m - 20 minute tempo(Dobson) @5.44 avg.

Wed - Lunch Bike 16m @20.3 mph; Evening Bike 22m @20.3 mph Total - Bike 38

Thu - Evening 8m @~8.00 with 6 x 10sec. uphill sprints

Fri - Lunch Bike 16m @20.7 mph; Evening Bike 25m @21.1 mph Total - Bike 41

Sat - Lunch Bike 16m @20.7 mph

Week of June 27

Total mileage: Run 23; Bike 61.5
Races: None

Sun - Off

Mon - Lunch 5m @~8.00; Evening Bike 25 @ 20.8mph

Tue - Evening 7 1/2m - 20 minute tempo(Cody Tr.) @5.47 avg.

Wed - Off - Massage at Balanced Body

Thu - Evening 5 1/2 @~8.30

Fri - Evening Bike 25m @20.4 mph

Sat - Lunch Bike 11.5 @~19 mph; Afternoon 5m @~8.00 with Cory

An Odd Running Talent, An Odd Basis for Faith

2010-06-18T08:03:00.005-04:00

Alison and I are driving up to Mt. Washington Road Race. Mt. Washington is my type of running. After 200 yards the rest is all up, 7.5 miles at 11.5%. Alison and some close friends are probably the only people who really understand the oddity of my mountain running. I started running the first week of December 1988 in high school. I got serious fairly quickly and won the small school NC Cross Country State Meet the following November, running 16.37. That is still my 5K personal best. I struggled with plantar fascitis for the next 10 years. After my quick cross country success, I felt there was a good runner lying dormant inside throughout those years. I ran, but never more than 25-30 miles a week. I finally got the fascitis resolved and returned to training seriously for about the last 10 years. Through my early 30s I basically just proved I was not as talented as I believed I myself to be. Yet, I remained delusional, I could be good if I could just find what was limiting me. I did run 16.46 for 5K this past fall, so maybe I'll improve my PR someday, but I doubt I'll ever break 16. My half-marathon personal best is 1:18.10, marathon is 2:43.42. Times that say I'm okay, not nothing great.

Then I discovered running uphill. In my early 30s, I ran Pilot Mountain at home periodically just for fun. I knew my times up it were relatively good, but I was only running a bit faster than 8 minute pace. I didn't know that was good for ~10% grade. Then I met Alison and we started running together. She wanted to know why I was running the hills so hard. My response: I am taking a break on the hills, running easy. I did a local NC hillclimb at 4% and did rather well. I was racing with guys I was never close to in regular road races. Looking on the internet, Mt. Washington looked seriously steep, plus it was the Mountain National Championship. The logical step, right. So June 17, 2006 I woke up a decent local road runner. Then I ran Mt. Washington and I was a mountain runner. At Mt. Washington, and other uphill races, I can race with much more broadly talented runners than me, i.e. generally faster. For example, that first Mt. Washington I was racing with a former US Mountain team member who had 14.20s 5K on his resume. I had discovered my running talent, an odd talent, but I'll acknowledge a natural running talent. I hadn't really done anything to develop my uphill running talent. It was just laying there undiscovered. Looking back, it was there from the start as I had always hammered people on the hills. Good for cross country.

Why I run up mountains so well is hard to put a finger on. My best guess is that I have some biomechanical difference that can't be obviously seen. When I discovered this talent, I couldn't help but think what if? What if I had the same natural ability of some that guys I race and my uphill ability? I'd be seriously good. Maybe. I would now say that is foolish talk and worthless. I'll take the talent that I have, develop it, and make the most of it. What ifs are dead end roads. Since there are a limited number of uphill races and many off road. I discovered that was good as well. The rougher, more technical the terrain is, the better I do. Longer races, ultra races are better for me. Repeated climbs in races are good. The bounds of my running talent seems to have expanded, maybe. My running talent: Not slowing down. I just seem to not slow at the same rate whenever there is something that causes running pace to be lost. An odd talent. It is still most dramatic climbing mountains.

So how does this relate to my faith in God? My faith in God has been a struggle since high school. I tend to believe what I see. I like being able understand things, prove the basis of things. God does not lend himself too well to that. God is a something you can't quite put your finger on. There is no proving God exists, just seeing the evidence of God. (There is also no proving God does not exist, or any other possible origins of life.) Running has always been a somewhat personal connection to God for me. But my uphill running talent made God make more sense to me. I believed there was a running talent inside me even in the years it would have been impossible to prove. Even after discovering my talent, it is hard to define or explain. I am still nothing especially fast for anything flat and easy. (Side note: Sometimes I wish my talent wasn't doing hard stuff. It means I get to hurt/suffer a lot. But "ifs" are still dead end roads.) If I could believe in my running ability, I can believe in God. My running experiences has made a passage from Hebrews 12, thus faith in God, make more sense for me. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith or belief is often required to take the steps to see the evidence of something.

So Mt. Washington stands before me again tomorrow. To be honest, I'm a bit unsure of how it'll go. I like to predict my time at races. A little hard this time, since the last two months training has been all over the place. I finally settled on 1:05.30. Two months ago, I would have said a good bit faster. Two days ago, I would have hoped at least sub 1:10. Whatever it is, I'll run hard. In fact, I pray often that I glorify God with my running. Not sure what that exactly means, actually. I don't pray that just for races. I say that prayer on workout days that no one sees, long runs, slow easy runs in the woods. I hope my running is a thing of beauty. To be honest, when I picture myself running, it is to me. I had a thought yesterday that I want to place well for myself. I think that's okay, but I still come back to back to glorifying God regardless of place. I'll just plan on making the most of the opportunity to turn uphill once more.

Training: Weeks of May 9 and May 16, 2010

2010-05-28T09:47:00.003-04:00

Week of May 9

Total mileage: 51
Races: none

Sun - Evening 7m up and down Fisher's Peak Total - 7

Mon - Lunch 4m @~8.45; Evening 6m @7.34 Total - 10

Tue - Evening 5m up and down Fisher's Peak(turned ankle again) Total - 5

Wed - Morning 3m @~8.30; Evening 7m @6.51 Total - 10

Thu - Morning 2 1/2 @8.00; Evening 5m @7.31 Total - 7 1/2

Fri - Morning 11 1/2 up and down mountains in Devotion Total - 11 1/2

Sat - Off

Week of May 16

Total mileage: 37
Races: Jemez Trail Half-Marathon 5th 1:44.00

Sun - Morning 4 1/2 with work Total - 4 1/2

Mon - Off

Tue - Evening 6m - 3m Tempo Run Avg. 5.51 Total - 6

Wed - Lunch 2 1/2m Total - 2 1/2

Thu - Morning 3m at Bluff Mountain Total - 3

Fri - Morning 4m @~8.00 in the Sandia foothills by Albuquerque Total - 4

Sat - Morning 17m - Jemez Half-Marathon 5th 1:44.00

What to say? There is still a knife in my ass that hurts on really every run. The best thing about Jemez was finding that my glute is not working. Again I believe that is from my back. Ryan Woods, the winner at Jemez, is a chiropractor and he looked at me after the race. He found that my SI joint was jammed/stuck, which I knew. He got that freed up some which felt good. Ryan did some muscle test and found my right glute was blown out, not working at all. It was good to finally have a pinpoint on the current problem. I saw him in Boone, NC on Tuesday so hopefully I'm headed in the right direction. I think the glute issue is a nerve issue, I could be wrong. But on Tuesday, Ryan said all the other muscles in the area, including hip flexors were strong. Plus when I do the exercises he gave me, it is often hard to do the first couple of repeats. The last few are the easiest. At least I know something to do that feels productive. It is good to know something other than, "I can't make my legs go." That made me sound like a mental case. I may be a mental case, but not in that way.

Life is Good, Even if Running is a Mess

2010-05-09T12:27:00.006-04:00

If you read my training blog, you noticed my running is a mess. Persistent back problems continue to nag me. My right leg seems to be rotting off. List of right leg problems, pirformis, popliteus, hamstring, ankle, calve. And life is pretty good. Last Sunday, I felt okay. Some things were hurting, but nothing too bad that day. So with all the screwed up training and hurting, I thought what should I do, POLE VAULT. I used to pole vault some, but rarely ever do any now. I was coaching a practice with some kids Sunday and thought I'd have some fun. It was fun to launch one's self wildly upside down into the sky. What's the point if being alive, if you're not alive.

Coaching has been a lot of fun this spring. I am a distance runner who coaches the pole vault? Yea. I have a mostly untalented, freshman girl who has been a true joy to coach. She has done basically everything I've asked her to do. She may not have the talent of many other high school girls, but she kills most's work ethic. She also vaults much more correctly than most, which is required to be competitive if you're lacking talent. She finished 3rd at our regional yesterday, so gets to go the our State Meet next Saturday.

This past Monday was pretty cool as well. I got a call from a former high school runner around lunch. They had a situation that they wanted my advice on. They said as they were trying to decide what to do, they thought I would be the perfect person to ask for input. That was cool and rewarding. Then at practice my girl did about three drills. She was tired from her workout and distracted, so we sat on the pits and talk for about an hour. It was just some typical, high school, mean girl stupidity. She just needed some reassurance on what and who is really important. High school can be a tough place to learn to just be yourself. It was a great practice. I enjoy working with the high schoolers on a level beyond just how to run, throw, jump, or pole vault. I see that as a true privilege. I hope athletics is just a tool to enjoy life and learn lessons about yourself and life.

Alison threw out another funny comment recently. We had a couple over and later I commented how she looked nice in the shirt she was wearing. Her reply, "Thanks, it's one that I got out of the trash." She got it from the dumpster when she was at UNC in Chapel Hill. Someone had thrown out a whole bag of clothes that were just Alison's size. I think she misses that dumpster and sorting through other people's trash. It was better than a thrift store since it was free. The end of each school year was always best as college students will throw anything way. I was reminded of couple of years ago when she brought me a piece of cake home from her work. She had pulled it from the trash can there as someone had tossed it at the end of the day. Yep, I ate it. We're a great couple aren't we?

I'll leave you with one of my favorite Alisonisms. She said it a couple of years ago while were we talking about life. In general, we feel we've lived good one. She commented that she seems to always get whatever she wants. Then she worded it perfectly.

"If you are always happy with what you get, you always get what you want."

Training: Weeks of April 18, April 25, and May 2, 2010

2010-05-09T11:23:00.005-04:00

Week of April 18

Total mileage: 50 1/2
Races: none

Sun - Lunch 9m @7.30 Total - 9

Mon - Evening 11 1/2m at FRP trails - 5 x 5 min./2 min. Fartlek Total - 11 1/2

Tue - Evening 12m @7.55 with strides Total - 12

Wed - Morning 11m @~8.00 at Tanglewood Park; Evening 1m - Right popliteus hurt Total - 12

Thu - Lunch 3m - Sprained ankle running down Pilot Mtn. Total - 3

Fri - Off Ankle is sore.

Sat - Evening 3m @7.53 Ankle okay, but weak Total - 3

Week of April 25

Total mileage: 30
Races: Owl's Roost Trail Half-Marathon 3rd 1:25.

Sun - Morning 17m - Owl's Roost Trail Half-Marathon - 2m warmup and cooldown Total - 17

Mon - Off

Tue - Off

Wed - Morning 3m at Kerr Scott Dam trails - Turned right ankle again, laid on ground

and howled, limped out of woods. Total - 12

Thu - Afternoon Bike 8m @18.9 mph

Fri - Lunch 5m with work up and down mountains Total - 5

Sat - Lunch 5m with work up and down mountains Total - 5

Week of May 2

Total mileage: 44 1/2
Races: none

Sun - Morning 14+m at Stone Mtn. working plus some really tough hiking Total - 14

Mon - Evening Bike 10m @20.1 mph Total - Bike 10

Tue - Morning 1m; Evening Bike 16m @20.1 mph Total - Run 1, Bike 16

Wed - Lunch 8m with work, more big climbs and descents Total - 8

Thu - Morning 10m at Basin Creek trails - 5 x 5 min. Fartlek with small backpack

while working Total - 10

Fri - Lunch 11 1/2m with work at Buffalo Cove, more harsh climbs

Sat - Off

Just as you can see, my running has been a mess lately. Oh well. My training log is filled with more notes on injuries and aches than running notes. My back has been quite bothersome of late and has been screwing up my right leg. Maybe that's why I turned my right ankle. Or maybe if you run technical, rocky trails enough, sprained ankles will happen. Regardless, my right leg and low back are hurting often. I keep saying the pain in my right leg is not real. It appears and disappears, day to day. I think the back is the problem, but then again I am not a doctor. But like many runners, I like to think I'm as qualified as a doctor to diagnose myself. Real pain or not, the hurting is getting old, so I have not been forcing the running.

My gypsy moth trapping job has kept me running. I have taken on a huge load of working with that this year and am working 7 days a week most weeks. I am working some new areas and it has been tougher than I had estimated it would be. I have done a lot of running, bushwhacking, and hiking in some tough mountains. I do see some beautiful places and places few people go. I found about a 60 foot waterfall on the side of mountain with no trails anywhere near it. I've done some nice runs on some great trails. I've done some runs just straight through the woods, no trails. I've taken 10-15 minutes to climb/bushwhack/hike 1/4 mile. The folks I spoke with about going on the property doubted I could make it up the mountain. They were impressed how quickly I made it in and out. Some climbs/descents have been 40% grades or more. I ran straight off the side of a mountain forest last Sunday. I would guess it was 1/4 mile at ~20%, no trail but strangely wide open and clear. That was fun. It made me think of fell running in England. I have been burning my legs up on all the harsh climbs and descent. So hopefully work is helping keep me fit. I try to get permission before roaming off onto someone's property and have gotten lots of warnings of snakes, bear, coyotes, terrain, and gun carrying landowners. I often can't locate the property owner, thus I say I am part professional trespasser. Work my be tough, but at least it's interesting. Hopefully running will get back to normal sometime.

Training: Week of April 11, 2010

2010-04-21T06:52:00.002-04:00

Total mileage: 49 1/2
Races: none

Sun - Morning 8m @~8.53 at Fisher River Park trails Total - 8

Mon - Off, long day, long high school track meet.

Tue - Evening 10m @8.08 with strides Total - 10

Wed - Lunch 5m @7.54; Evening 11m - Pilot Mtn. workout 5 x 1/2m & 2 x 1/4m going up mtn.

doing 3rd 1/2 twice (1/2-3.15, 1-3.28, 1 1/2-3.40, 1 1/2-3.38, 2-3.29, 2 1/4-1.42,

2 1/4-1.40) SWEET! Total - 16

Thu - Off, Back and right popliteus muscle irritated

Fri - Afternoon 8m @~7.45 with fast strides Total - 8

Sat - Morning 7 1/2m - up and down Howard's Knob in Boone Total - 7 1/2

I am having continued problems with my back and right leg, a permanent condition it seems. The popliteus muscle behind the right knee was new. It was pretty irritated through the last of the week and I try to be cautious with new aches. One of my main running goals is to keep running, i.e. stay healthy. That didn't seem to be my goal in years past as I seemed to train into the condition of injured and not running, too often. One of my favorite sayings is "I seem to do very poorly at all the races I don't run."

When I am running, I'm running slower and slower, and faster! My recovery days have gotten slower and slower over the last three years. Some of that is to blame on Simon Gutierrez as I had run some cooldown runs after races with him in previous years. I particularly remember a run after the mountain team selection race in Colorado 2006. Asking for some training tips, one was make the easy days easier and the hard days hard and fast. A perfect example of the slower and faster is Fisher River Park. The recovery run on Sunday the 11th is the slowest I have ever run the trail section. My workout this Monday, the 19th, is the fastest I have ever run the trail. My training milage has gone up and race times have gone down in last couple of years. So I guess I should thank Simon for the advice sometime. A good friend, Mark Lundblad, has also reinforced the slower recovery day and long day pace. I've even run slow with Mark some. If Mark can run slow, I can too.

Wednesday's workout at Pilot Mtn. was pretty awesome. My times were haulin' fast for that workout, significantly faster than I had previously run for that workout. After the first 1/2 mile, the other 1/2 miles average 11-12%. I was rather fired up after that one and looking forward to Mt. Washington in June. Pilot Mtn. workouts are the basis for my predicted Mt. Washington times each year, this year looks good! Saturday, I drove the track team to a meet at Appalachian State. Before the meet I ran up Howard's Knob and back down. It is on the road and probably averages 15% for 1 1/2 miles. I won a 2 mile race there called The Knob in 2007 and 2008. Hopefully, I can do it again this fall, it's a 5K now.

Time to go run slow.

Training: Week of April 4, 2010

2010-04-13T22:47:00.007-04:00

Total mileage: 80
Races: Pilot Mountain Payback - Marathon 1st 3:15.15

Sun - Afternoon 8m @~8.00 with Cory Total - 8

Mon - Afternoon 2m @~8.20 Total - 2

Tue - Lunch 7m @8.12; Afternoon 5m @8.20 Total - 12

Wed - Morning 4m @8.04; Afternoon 8 @~8.00 with fast strides Total - 12

Thu - Afternoon 8m @~7.55 Total - 8

Fri - Morning 4m @8.00; Afternoon 4m @~7.55 Total - 8

Sat - Morning 30m - Pilot Mountain Payback - Marathon 3:15.15; added 4m after Total - 30

Back to working like a madman again, so slow getting this week's running up. I am chasing gypsy moths now, they are hard critters to track. This week of training was good, just taking the week easy to get my legs back under me. My legs were actually a little better on Sunday after Mt. Penn. They just couldn't go at Mt. Penn. The run and conversation with Cory on Sunday was nice treat. Though the legs were doing better, my gluts were really sore Sunday and Monday. I get a lot of second day soreness, so Monday was worse. I don't know if the gluts were doing the work that the rest of my legs couldn't or what. I don't normally get sore in the gluts. Maybe that's what happens when you get your ass kicked.

Pilot Mountain Payback was fun. I treated it more like a good long run. It was nice being out on the trails. I did a lot of talking on the way out the Corridor Trail. The girl leading the half said I was full of stories, she did say that she liked them. The run up Mountain Trail was the best, I just really like this trail. It is rocky and technical, then the upper part is narrow through mountain laurels and boulders. I passed some lamas on the course. Seriously, some folks were walking some lamas near the pinnacle area. I got in the lead just before the pinnacle area. They guy and I went back and forth a little down the mountain. He stopped at the aid station at the park office around 18? miles. I kept going and took the lead again. He was close for a while and then dropped off. On the way in on Corridor Trail, I noticed a runner had dropped his chewing tobacco. Can't believe a runner doesn't go back to get that.

After finishing, I hung around for a bit, ate pizza and chips, had some Coke, filled my bottle, and headed back out Corridor Trail for a few extra miles. I stopped a ways out to wait for Stacey to come. It was cool being out for a bit, watching runners come by, and encouraging them in. I ran the last couple of miles in with Stacey. She said she felt rough and I said that is pretty normal for long races. Crystal came in soon after Stacey finished. It was Stacey's and Crystal's first marathons. I think they "enjoyed" the experience. I was nice to hang out with them and to see some other folks out there that I knew. I think races are becoming social affairs for me.

Later I walked back out Corridor Trail to meet Alison and help her sweep the last of the trail. She swept basically the entire course, so her knee is doing okay. She is also running a little now. It was nice walking back in with her and talking. She had also worked registration before the race. We both had a fun day. Abran did a great job putting on his first race. Hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

WARNING: You may not want to read this, Crystal.

2010-04-05T08:31:00.009-04:00

For those of you like my friend, Crystal, this may be one of those blogs you will want to skip. She has said that she can only handle me in small doses. Thankfully, Alison can handle a large, continuous dose. Though I may leave some of you wondering how. This blog actually came about from my recent thinking on how good life is for me right now and thinking more about the Bel Monte race. I guess I could have written a nice, overly romanticized blog about a seemingly perfect life. Problem is that is not real, for me anyways. I doubt I would see life as so wonderful without the un-wonderful portions. My life has had the surviving sections, just the same way Bel Monte had a tough surviving section. That is one of the great things about ultras, many times the races will have ups and downs, literally, and emotionally, and physically. One of the biggest impacts on my life was going through divorce.

Going through divorce changed me and changed me more than any other life event I can think of. I use the phrase "going through divorce" because just the fact I was once married and got divorced isn't the key factor. It was all that I had to deal with personally, how I view life, and how I had dealt with life previously. It would be a book to write all of it so I'll just hit the high points. One, I wasn't ready to be divorced. I was a Christian, in some ways strict. I'd only be married once, only know one woman, love forever. I still love Kathy, my ex-wife. Personally, I don't understand how you once really love someone and stop. I do believe in God's love, the agape love, and in living it. Most people only seem to apply this to children. Kathy and I are still friends and talk regularly. Some people don't understand this. I don't understand any other way and haven't lost a rational discussion on the subject. The love has changed. It's not romantic or sexual. I love my sisters, I don't need to say more. But part of my dogma is once I care about someone, I don't stop regardless of the situation. Some folks have said they couldn't deal with my views toward Kathy. I guess that is one reason in a list of why I'm not married to them. I couldn't deal with someone who doesn't get my point of view, cause all they could offer me was a temporary love or concern. The point is that changing that type of love with Kathy was tough and rocked me to the core. What did it say about me that I would say I want out?

I also kept myself neatly packed inside in my younger years, before 26. My internal life was like a post office mail box. Everything was tidily categorized and ordered. Some boxes were locked shut. Things went in and disappeared from my mind. My divorce dumped everything back out on the floor for me to sort through again. I spent years sorting back through my past life, some parts I'd seemed to have forgotten. I'm not sure what I've done with all that crap now. I've written quite a few poems and some journals. To be honest, I drank some on nights I felt too overwhelmed. But one description of me now is that I am not afraid to be naked. If something about me is good, bad, indifferent, it is what it is. I'm not ashamed of any of it. I struggled with being a "perfect" Christian before. I'll just say that I don't now. I know that bothers some people, especially when I say exactly what that means. If I did it, I'll tell you. I might say it was or is bad, but I did it and in some instances will probably do it again. To use Christian terms, I sin, I know that I will repeat some sins. I'll try to sin less, but I sin as a willful act, a choice. I don't believe in the "it's not my fault, I couldn't resist." I'd rather own my actions. I might not be a perfect person, don't even want to be, but I'll be honest with you.

Somewhere in that rambling is how divorce upset my previously perfect, and falsely, balanced life. Divorce was a hard process for me that brought out some good things in me, some bad. It definitely changed me for better, and worse. I do like that I am more like I was as a kid. I wish I could recover the naivety I had as kid(that will be a good blog sometime), but I won't. One of my best lessons was that life, time, the movement of the sun and moon stops for no one. We each have a limited amount of time and I plan on living mine up. I don't want a gravestone when I die(don't believe in that, for me), but if I did I would want it to say, "He did too much," or "He did too much living." The second sounds a little arrogant, but I can live with that. I also have much greater appreciation of life after divorce. I am much more thankful for anything, even some of the "bad" and "difficult."

Below is a poem that I wrote this weekend. It's a first draft, which I seldom like. I like some of what this poem says, but not exactly how it says it. It was brewing in my head for years and finally fell out. Anyway, I thought I'd toss it out there. So the point of all my rambling is that some parts of life must just be survived. During my process of divorce, I made some different choices from before. I didn't try to be perfect. I shouted at God, cussed God, questioned my belief in God, but I talked to him and I talked honest. I was merely surviving for a year or more, and not doing that well. Just as I had to survive a large section of Bel Monte 50 Mile. You force yourself to put one foot in front of the other, whether it is fast or slow, running or walking. When you can, you make yourself run and good things can happen. If you walk when you could be running, you'll miss an opportunity. Other people can judge whether I'm good or bad, better or worse. You can judge. I'm not sure how much sense this blog makes, but who cares. It's me. I'm definitely different and not afraid to be judged or disliked or liked. But I plan on using my time up and I'm not afraid to be naked.

Drunk and Naked on the Floor

Looking back,

it was just a night

alone in the sea.

At the time,

it was night after night,

drunk and naked,

alone on the floor.

Where was my God?

Though I've asked,

he hasn't spoken.

Too many nights,

I couldn't sleep

and the Comforter

never came,

maybe my hard words

kept him away.

No one wants to see

a bare soul on the floor,

naked and drunk.

Someone came and walked away,

a man stripped a little too much.

They'd worry in silence.

I'd suffer alone.

Sometimes you have to

swim on your own

or drink

yourself naked and drunk

on the cold soil.

It seemed like years,

it seemed like a night or two,

maybe there's little difference.

A bad mind lost time,

a day, a year,

I remember little of either.

So looking back,

maybe just one night,

maybe four years,

a minor detail

of a corrupted mind.

Not sure who rescued me,

or if I swam the ocean alone

and found the shore.

God hadn't walked away

having seen me stripped bare

ranting in my nakedness.

Shrivel feet on course soil,

clothed once more

suddenly appropriate again,

but not underneath.

Though, the Comforter

could cover

a multitude of nakedness.

She'd say I still wasn't right,

though she found me

far from removed

from the shore

only sometimes

naked and bare.

Just a single night

alone in the sea

left me different and bare.

Maybe God needed

a man,

naked and bare.

Training(Laugh): Week of Mar. 28, 2010

2010-04-04T11:11:00.005-04:00

Total mileage: 23 1/2
Races: Mt. Penn Mudfest 15K 4th 1:02.50

Sun - Off

Mon - Bike 10 @16.5mph

Tue - Bike 12 @17.2mph

Wed - Afternoon 2 1/2m @~8.20 Total - 2 1/2

Thu - Afternoon - Michelle's torture treatment, otherwise known as massage;

Evening 5m @8.10 Total - 5

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 16m - Mt. Penn Mudfest 15K 1:02.50 @6.45 avg. Total - 16

I'll describe this past week as rest/recovering for the first half and tapering for the second half. That works, right? In previous years, the La Sportiva Mountain Cup has not started until late May, this year April 3rd with Mt. Penn. I had been planning on doing the Cup again this year and this race was within driving distance being in PA. The Cup schedule wasn't announced until early March. I had put Bel Monte on my race schedule before Christmas and didn't want to miss that. So I was left with a choice, cut one or try both. I don't see going from a short race to an ultra as any real problem, ultra to short in a week is tough for me. With that in mind I feel like Mt. Penn went well. My body never felt good and recovered all week and didn't feel that way on Saturday. But I was okay. I warmed up with Derek Schultz and Jason. I knew then that I was going to be hanging on. During the race, my legs just couldn't push to that acute speed and pain of a shorter race. I ran hard, but my body was still running a ultra. I just didn't have legs, no pop or bounce. Top 5 was my goal and I got 4th. But the racer in me can't help but want more. Two of the guys in front of me are sub 14 5K runners, I can now say I am a sub 17 5K guy again(16.46 in Oct.). The other guy has been on the US Mountain team the previous two years, 2009 Mountain Cup winner, and 2008 Olympic Trials marathoner. I really shouldn't beat any of these guys, but... I'm delusional enough to want to and to try. So I beat the people I was "supposed" to beat, but I want to beat the ones I'm not "supposed" to beat. Some friends have suggested I be more satisfied with my running. I am happy with my running achievements, but I like the driven, pursuing part of my personality. Racing is my outlet for that. I have a saying for myself and that I tell Alison sometimes, "When your dreams get too big, go delusional." That is not Alison's personality, but she has come to realize that it works for me somehow. I like my delusional, pretend world. Alison also says the more I accomplish, the less delusional my goals are. Which kind of sucks.

I have also tended to race a lot over the past couple of years. No apologizes there either. I really enjoy the races, seeing running friends, and meeting new people. I have become somewhat of a social racer, though I never thought I would. I'll just say that I like to play, a lot. Which, I should have another blog about my view of trail racing up later this week or next. It's titled, Act your shoe size, not your age! Enough for now.

I'm Sexy

2010-04-01T23:14:00.003-04:00

I am sexy. At least, that is what I heard, again, one Friday night back in February. I was running by a house when a girl hollers, "Woooowho, Heeey Sexy." This just confirmed the extraordinary amount of sexiness I must now possess. My sexiness had to burst through the abundance of clothes I wore; tights, shorts, shirt, jacket, 2 gloves, beanie, hat, and headlamp. I was running in the middle of the road as a heavy snow was falling with 4-5 inches newly on the ground. I'll admit that the headlamp probably helped her see my sexiness in the heavy snowfall.

I believe my first discovery of this odd sexiness was more of a conveyance of another's more established sexy power. It was in May, 1989 and I was only 16, an awkward, some might say puny and thin, young runner. Some might say I have maintained the puny and thin build. I had only been running for 6 months, but that strange power had begun to take hold. There was a group of us Dobson boys out on a midnight run in the nearby town of Elkin. A car passed and someone hollered, "Hey, it's Sexy Rexy's boys." That's when I first heard of this sexiness in running. Rex Mitchell was our Surry Central High School track and cross country coach. He not only coached, but he ran, all 6'5" in running shorts and shirtless in summer. He'd become known to some as Sexy Rexy and we were his runners.

I'm not sure what it is about this sexy mystic that running christens us with. But with many miles logged on these legs, some just can't resist calling out, "Hey Sexy." I'm sure many of you running infatuated have experienced the same. It seems strange that a lean, underfed looking, half-naked person quickly chasing one foot after another could emit such a strong sexiness. I have even found that some males, who'd swear they're straight, will whistle or holler the "Hey Sexy." A few years ago, I had a situation where a 73 year old woman commented on my lean body. She said she was not hitting on me, she was just admiring. I told her I was dating someone. Though I've come to understand the overpowering nature of this running sexiness.

I help Sexy Rexy coach at the same high school where he has been passing along this power for more than 30 years. Now I run with our guys on the local roads. I must apologize to the new kids each year and tell them they will get used to all the hollering when they run with me. I also tell them that if they too log many miles, someday people will be unable to control the proclamation of their sexiness.

Our Sexy Cartel

From left to right, Me-jb, Jason Key-JK, Kenny Koves, Joseph Gonzales-JG, Jason Lawrence-JL

All photos are from my senior yearbook. Even the one of me looking goofy, or maybe SEXY.

Training: Week of Mar. 21, 2010

2010-03-28T20:16:00.004-04:00

Total mileage: 93
Races: Bel Monte 50 Mile 1st 7:42.39

Sun - Morning 4m @7.33; Evening 7m @7.31 Total - 11

Mon - Morning 4m @7.30; Afternoon 8m - 3 x 5 min./ 2 min. rec. fartlek on

Fisher River Park trail Total - 12

Tue - Morning 4m @8.09; Afternoon 5m with fast strides@7.45 Total - 9

Wed - Afternoon 8 - Pilot Mtn. run(2.25 miles @ 9.2%) 17.21 @7.43 avg. Total - 8

Thu - Afternoon - Bike 12m @~17mph

Fri - Afternoon 2m @~7.40 Total - 2

Sat - Morning 51m - Bel Monte 50 Mile 7:42.39 @9.05 avg. Total - 51

The running was much better this week. The back was still troubling me significantly Sunday and Monday morning, so I got another appointment with Dr. Firczak for Tuesday in Charlotte. He got my SI joint to move good and my low back felt much better the rest of the week. I felt the need to squeeze in a couple of workouts since the last three weeks have not had much good training.

Alison and I drove up to Sherando, Va on Friday

evening for Bel Monte 50 Mile. We put the air

mattress in the back of the car (a Pontiac Vibe has room for a full size air mattress when you lay the back seats down) and slept there overnight. That is something we do often. I felt pretty good Saturday morning, but by the first aid station I knew something was off. It was my back of course. For the most part it didn't hurt too bad, at least through halfway. I just could not run uphill well at all. That happens sometimes in short races as well. A couple of years ago, I went up to Massachusetts for 10K trail/mountain race. I was passed by a guy on the biggest climb

in the race. I could run fine downhill, but it wasn't happening going up. Three weeks later at Mt. Washington I finished almost 9 minutes in front of him. I think it has also shut me down on workout runs up Pilot Mtn. So anyway that was Saturday as well. I was actually shocked to win and get under the 7:50 prize time. Alison saw me out on the course, at the top of one climb and starting another. She was surprised as well. It was a very rewarding race, win or not, but of course it was more rewarding to win. I was pleased to have pushed through some really tough sections in the middle and then on the last climb. That last climb was absurdly bad. One part of me was saying to continue pushing and maybe I could catch the guy when we topped out. Most of me was saying that it was hopeless. I was praying a good bit for the strength to endure that current suffering. I was also saying win or lose I wanted to finish and glorify God with whatever I did. I think it would be a funny interview someday if a losing athlete said God was really blessed me today. I feel that way, whether I win, place 22nd, or DNF. Once the steepness let up, I had surprisingly good speed left in my legs. It wasn't like they were used up, I was just getting sharp, halting pain in my low back when going up. Most people would probably say that I just proved how stupid I am. I can handle being called stupid. In fact, an elder neighbor said this winter, "You must be dumb. You don't know whether it's raining, snowing, or the sun's shining. I see you running in any weather as if it all the same." I'll pretend I'm tough. Before I go off on another tangent, I have more about how the race unfolded on the La Sportiva Mountain Running blog. So now it is ice, ice, ice. I am stupid enough to try and race a 15K next weekend in Pa.

I knew she was the woman for me when she said, "I hate eating ants."

2010-03-25T23:41:00.007-04:00

Because of microfracture surgery on Alison's knee, she wasn't working during my grafting this year. So Alison was helping tar my trees to seal the grafts. This also gave us some time to talk several days. One of her comments a couple of weeks ago was quite interesting and comical. We were talking about relationships, dating, marriage, and such, when Alison made this comment. "I don't know if I would have dated you if you had been living with your parents." Some of you may be laughing hysterically now, as I did at the time. Alison asked with a bemused look, "What's so funny about that?" Which is even more comedy, and why we are a good fit. I said, "So you're not sure that you would have dated me if I was living with my parents, but the fact that I was living in a barn with no bathroom and had been for over 3 years was no problem." Alison, "But you were living independently in the barn, it was your barn." Alison eventually moved into the barn with me. I lived there for over 8 years, she lived there for a little over 2. We finally moved into our log house last January.

I think I first knew Alison was the woman for me when she said, "I hate eating ants, they don't taste good." Habitating with Alison is like gold panning for strange and funny statements. She does not spew them constantly, but they're truly notable when she does toss one out. Alison was living in Chapel Hill, NC when we met. Small ants were getting in her apartment and into her cereal. It was too much trouble to pick the tiny ants out and she wasn't going to throw the cereal out. So she just ate the cereal with the ants. She said they made the cereal taste funny. I knew I had discovered the rarest of women. Probably not every man is looking for such qualities as ant eating in their mate. Alison knew I was the man for her when I ate cat food with her. We eat strange things, don't we. Her cat, Oscar, loves canned cat food and we were wondering what made him so nuts over it. So we tried it, and we are still wondering.

We tend not to say please and often don't even ask for somethings. "Get me the scissors." But we say thanks for all kinds of things, big and small. "Thanks for getting the mail." "Thank you for that wrestling match." Our prefered date seems to be the weekly trip to the grocery store. We miss the other when only one of us is able to go. So I tell her I take her on an expensive date every week, she pays. Alison says, not many women could live with me. I know it's not a criticism, just an observation. I like honesty and blunt is just fine. I'm rather bluntly honest. She also says that she likes the parts of me that she tends not to like. Without those parts, there wouldn't be the good parts either. Alison says she realizes she can be hard to live with, but I say it's not a problem for me. We're not naive or looking through rose colored glass, far from it. Manure grows vegetables and flowers quite well, but you do have to put up with a some smell for a bit. We were both married once before, which accentuates our appreciation of each other. Our understanding and acceptance of one another's uniqueness is nice. It's like a chipmunk met a frog and thought that makes sense. You can figure out which one of us is which.

Training: Weeks of Feb. 28, Mar. 7, & Mar. 14 2010

2010-03-25T22:27:00.006-04:00

I have returned from what seems to be my annual disappearing act of grafting season at the nursery. Grafting is my nursery and has a limited time period to get done. If the buds start to break, I'm done whether I want to be or not. I did get shut down a couple of days early this year. I seem to start late too many years and this year I set a new personal best for starting late. Anyway I finished on Sunday and I am getting back to a normal life. I started grooming again on Sunday too, some of you think I am joking. My hair is long, for me. I can make it look like Wolverine, which I plan to do for the next two races. I'll get a picture. Alison has adjusted quite well to my grafting season madness. That's why I married her or it was for the bedroom wrestling, which we got back to on Sunday as well, after I shaved.

Week of Feb. 28, 2010

Total mileage: 20
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Afternoon 3m @~9.30 Total - 3

Tue - Off

Wed - Afternoon 4m @~7.50 Total - 4

Thu - Afternoon 5m @~7.30 Total - 5

Fri - Afternoon 8m @~7.45 Total - 8

Sat - Off

Very busy working and my back is giving me hell, partly caused by work.

Week of Mar. 7, 2010

Total mileage: 67
Races: Ellerbe Marathon (sort of, I was pacing a friend) 3:22.18

Sun - Morning 4m @7.55; Afternoon 8m @7.51 Total -12

Mon - Afternoon 8m @~7.30 Total - 8

Tue - Afternoon 8m - 2 x 1000(3.30, 3.32) w/400 recovery, 2 x 500(1.37, 1.36) w/200 rec., 2 x 300(.54, .54) w/200 rec.(Did the high school kids workout with them) Total - 8

Wed - Afternoon 2m @~7.30 Total - 2

Thu - Afternoon 10m 8 x 200(35-37)x200(45-49) 3200 meters in 11.18;cooldown/warmup 3200 meters in 11.14(5.38, 5.36) Total - 10

Fri - Off

Sat - Morning 27m - Ellerbe Marathon 3:22.18; Warmup 1m Total - 27

Still working like mad, back still unhappy, really unhappy by Saturday evening. Pacing and running the marathon with my friend Jay was a good time, though. I really enjoyed doing it with him and hope he doesn't hate me for all the crazy stuff I said to him. I thought one of his comments was funny. Late in the race, 20+, Jay wanted to walk, just a 30 second walk break. Qualifying for Boston was still in reach at that point, but slipping. I wouldn't let Jay walk, I told him to run until he fell over unable to move. After the race he told me his thoughts of "I'm a grown man, I can walk if I want to." Crystal, his wife, asked if he walked. Jay said no, he couldn't with me yelling at him. If I wasn't so busy, I could have enjoyed it more.

Week of Mar. 14, 2010

Total mileage: 12 1/2
Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Off

Tue - Afternoon 1/2m @~8.00 Total - 1/2

Wed - Afternoon 3m @~7.30 Total - 3

Thu - Afternoon 7m @~7.30 Total - 7

Fri - Off

Sat - Evening 2m @8.04 Total - 2

Back was really screwed up most of the week. My right leg just wouldn't work. Finally got down to see Dr. Firczak, my chiropractor, on Thursday. I was pretty locked up he said and I did not adjust easily or at all in my SI joint. It did help, but didn't cure everything. I felt significantly better on Saturday, but turned my ankle running in the dark that night. I decided to just go home and ice it. Sunday would be a new week and I'd finish grafting on Sunday.

Training: Week of Feb. 21, 2010

2010-02-28T14:48:00.005-05:00

Total mileage: 55
Races: Mt. Mitchell Challenge(34-36miles) - 1st 4:31.16

Sun - Morning 4m @7.53 Total - 4

Mon - Afternoon 4m @~7.30 Total - 4 My mid/upper is killing me.

Tue - Off Back is just too locked up. Can't turn head or twist torso.

Wed - Afternoon 6m @~7.25 Total - 6

Thu - Afternoon 6m @~7.18 Total - 6

Fri - Off Trying give my back a little more rest for Mt. Mitchell

Sat - Morning 35m - Mt. Mitchell Challenge 4:31.16 Total - 35

February Summary:

Total Mileage - 321 (Highest Feb. total ever)

Races - 3

2/13 Groundhog Gallop 10.5M 1st 1:09.20

2/20 Hardcore Serious Trail Runners 8K 1st 31.35 CR

2/27 Mt. Mitchell Challenge 34-36M 1st 4:31.16

On Sunday my back was bothering me some. It was mainly my lower back on the left side. Then I woke up on Monday and the low back felt okay. But my mid/upper back, mostly on the right side, had gone absolutely berserk and Tuesday was in full lockdown mode. I was somewhat concerned all week as Mt. Mitchell Challenge was on Saturday. I had a DNF there last year as my back was all whacked there last year. I would have been more concern if it had happened later in the week or if not for Where's Waldo in August. My back did about the same before Where's Waldo 100K this year, but worse. Then I ran fine at Where's Waldo and ran fine at Mt. Mitchell this Saturday. So maybe the key to managing my back and racing is to have it go totally crazy a few days before racing. Then it'll be okay on race day. I'll get a race report up later in the day with some photos hopefully, then disappear into my greenhouse for another week.

Training: Week of Feb. 14, 2010

2010-02-21T21:25:00.007-05:00

Total mileage: 80
Races: Hardcore Serious Trail Runner 8K (~5.25 miles) - 1st 31.35

Sun - Afternoon 4m @7.46 Total - 4

Mon - Morning 7m @7.37; Afternoon 4m @7.52 Total - 11

Tue - Afternoon 8m @~7.12 Total - 8

Wed - Morning 4 1/2m @7.33 with strides; Afternoon 10 - 3 1/2m tempo on the track;

5.46, 5.46, 5.43, 2.50 = 20.05 @ 5.44 Avg. Cadence - 196 steps/min. Total - 14 1/2

Thu - Morning 4 1/2m @7.40 with strides; Afternoon 10m @~7.16 Total - 14 1/2

Fri - Morning 4m @7.46; Afternoon 8m @7.20 Total - 12

Sat - Morning 16m - Hardcore Serious Trail Runner 8K(~5.25) 31.35;

Warmup 3m, Cooldown 8 with Lat & Jeff Total - 16

I am late getting this post up. I have had my head buried in my nursery work and I have about two more weeks of that. This is my grafting season for the trees and I tend to get a little crazy and zoned out during this time. The trail marathon that I was supposed to run on the 20th got postponed so I found an 8K trail race in Charlotte. It was a fun race and glad I went down for it. I'm sure the course was long by a good bit, but that doesn't matter for a trail race. But I'm pretty sure I was averaging under 6:00 pace. I got to meet some new people, I believe this was my first trail race in the Charlotte area. I did a 8 mile cooldown with a couple of guys, Lat and Jeff.

Link to Mt. Mitchell Challenge race report on Mountain Running blog.

Training: Week of Feb. 7, 2010

2010-02-14T10:23:00.005-05:00

Total mileage: 100
Races: Groundhog Gallop - 10.5 miles: 1st 1:09.20

Sun - Afternoon 21m @7.30 Total - 21

Mon - Morning 4 1/2m @7.44 with strides; Afternoon 10m @~7.20 with high school guys

Total - 14 1/2

Tue - Morning 10m @7.46; Afternoon 5m @7.28 Total - 15

Wed - Morning 4 1/2m @7.38 with strides; Afternoon 10 @~7.30 Total - 14 1/2

Thu - Morning 4m @7.55; Afternoon 7m - 4m @~7.50, 3m @~8.30 with Stacey Total - 11

Fri - Morning 4m @8.05; Evening 3m @7.50 Total - 7

Sat - Morning 17m - Groundhog Gallop 10.5m 1:09.20 @6.36 avg.; Warmup 2m,

Cooldown 4 1/2(2m with Annette) Total - 17

Weather threatened to derail another racing weekend, but I finally got to do another race. I'm glad Scott Bassett's group, BigfootRunning, was putting this race on as they are a pretty diehard group. They put on and/or time a lot of races in NC and surrounding states. They always do a great job. The course was altered because the weather made a section to hard to manage. So instead of a half marathon, we only ran 10.5 miles consisting of two 5.25 mile loops. The area got about 1 inch of snow overnight and I believe a little may have still been on the ground in places from the last snow. I like running in bad conditions and generally consider it an advantage to me. Running fast was rather challenging though. A slower pace was probably good as my legs were feeling quite dull from my increased training volume. Shortly after going into the trails after a 3/4 mile loop on the roads, I was alone for the rest of the race. I averaged 6.26 for the half-marathon last year and remembered some approximate splits. Going through 2 miles and 3 miles, I was well off last year's pace as I expected. But I was having fun playing in the snow and mud. The 8K folks had gone off for their one loop a half hour before us so in some places the snow got packed down and became icy, especially on the second loop. In the more sunny places the trail became just a muddy mess.

I had thought 1:10 would be a good goal after seeing the course on my warm up. I hoped to come through the first loop in 35.o0 and came through in 35.02, nice. I wanted to squeeze a little time the first three miles of the second loop, then try opening up more the last 2.25. I went through 3 miles 12 seconds ahead of the first loop. Trying to open up my stride and get more speed was kind of crazy. I was slipping around more and could barely get around any turn. It was more like lots of short sprints when the trail straightened out any. It was a lot of fun. My backside was covered in mud at the finish (I'll get a picture up later) and my finishing time was 1:09.20 and 34.18 for the second loop. I got to cool down with Annette Bednosky and catch up with her some. It was nice to get out to another race finally. Hopefully next week's race at Pilot Mountain State Park will happen as they are already talking of postponing it. The park is currently closed because of icy conditions and downed trees. I can run in poor footing and over, through, or around trees, let's do it.

Training: Week of Jan. 31, 2010

2010-02-07T10:11:00.009-05:00

Total mileage: 102

Races: none

Sun - Afternoon 16m @7.25 Total - 16

Mon - Morning 4m - 2m snowshoe @9.05 & 2m road @7.42; Evening 10m @7.13 Total - 14

Tue - Morning 4m @7.44; Evening 12m - 5 x 1200 with 1/2m recovery(3.57, 3.59, 3.56, 3.59, 3.58)

warmup @7.43, cooldown @7.38 Total - 16

Wed - Morning 4 1/2m @7.50 with strides; Evening 9 1/2 @7.41 Total - 14

Thu - Morning 4m @7.40; Afternoon 11m - 4m progressive run(6.25, 6.16, 6.07, 5.55) warmup @~7.20,

cooldown @~7.00 Total - 15

Fri - Morning 4m @~7.30; Evening 7m @~7.45 in heavy snow in Blacksburg, VA @ 10:00pm Total - 11

Sat - Morning 10m - 5m on treadmill on 15% @12.44 & 5m @<8.00>

Evening 6m @7.46 Total - 16

January Summary:

Total Mileage - 386 (Highest mileage month ever; previous - 365)

Races - 2

1/2 Tsali Frosty Foot Fest 50K 1st 3:46.09

1/9 Little River Trail Run 10Miler 4th 1:07.07

I had not planned on three quality days this week. I just felt pretty good and things just worked out that way. I was pleased with the VO2 Max workout on Tuesday as I averaged 3.58. I did the workout on the road near my home. A few years ago I rolled out 1 mile with marks at 50 meters, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1/2 mile, 1000, 1200, 1400, and 1 mile. It is relatively flat for around here. I would have liked to have run all 3.57s, which is an obsession of mine. Alison laughs at my obsession as I felt these repeats were too variable. I like to aim at perfect workout pacing, it is part of the fun for me. In October, I ran a 10 x 1 mile close to perfect. The first 9 were all 5.56, but I sped up a little on the last one and ran 5.55.80. All ten repeats were within 1 second, but the middle 8 were all within .6 seconds. That was fun, in my mind.

On Friday, Alison had surgery in Charlotte on her left knee to clean up the cartilage behind the knee cap. During the surgery, I was directed to a conference room to talk to the surgeon, Dr. Perry, a well resumed orthopedic surgeon. I knew what was coming and didn't really want to be in that position. Dr. Perry showed me some pictures of inside Alison's knee. There was a nickel size area where the cartilage had complete separated from the bone. It was under the weight bearing portion of the medial condyle. Dr. Perry was recommending a microfracture procedure be done and wanted my approval. Microfracture means six weeks non-weightbearing, not even a trainer or stationary bike. And no running for 3-6 months. Plus for 4-5 weeks, she is supposed to have her leg in a devise that passively moves her leg for about 8 hours a day. So approve this for your wife who is currently unconscious. But one of Dr. Perry's statements made it much easier. He said that she is done running without microfracture or a more complicated procedure of cartilage replacement which would require two more surgeries. So Alison woke up with the microfracture surgery. She was immediately concerned about work as she will be out six weeks instead of a couple of days and they are already short staffed.

So I drove her home through the snow, helped get her situated, and immediately left. I had been scheduled to help officiate at a Virginia Tech track meet in Blacksburg, VA. I had to drive in more freezing rain and snow. Plus since the surgery had taken longer and the drives been slower, I couldn't get my run in until after the Friday track meet portion. I had to run late in a cold, heavy snowfall and deep snow on the ground. It was such a chore, woe is me. Actually, the run was rather fun and just playing in the snow. I was thankful to have the opportunity and choice to be out running. In fact, when a run is rough, I often tell God I'm thankful just be out running. Just to ease any concerns, Alison is good and will soon be planning what her next running race will be. We've already talked about her possibly walking Mt. Washington with Richard Fedion. That's my week in running, hope yours has been good.

Training: Week of Jan. 24, 2010

2010-01-31T13:15:00.017-05:00

Total mileage: 61

Races: none

Sun - Morning 4m @7.29; Afternoon 9m @~7.38 Total - 13

Mon - Morning 4 1/2m @7.22 with strides; Afternoon 9 1/2m @7.26 Total - 14

Tue - Morning 4m @7.33; Afternoon 9m - Bailed out of mountain workout at Pilot Mtn. after two .5 mile

repeats. Just didn't have any legs, so ran up and downthe mountain. Total - 13

Wed - Off

Thu - Morning 4m @7.44; Afternoon 6m @7.20 Total - 10

Fri - Morning 4m @7.30 Worked moving trees all day to prepare for snow, until about 8pm. Total - 4

Sat - Morning - up at 3am clearing snow off of greenhouses; Afternoon 6m @7.41 in snow; Evening 1m

snowshoe running and 2 1/2m snowshoe hike withAlison Total - 7 running

No races again this week. I had planned on doing a snowshoe race in NH, but the snow canceled my plans. I haven't run a race since the 9th and probably won't get to until Feb. 13. My back got out of sorts about mid-week anyway. I felt it spasm or whatever while working in the nursery. All the heavy lifting and then dragging and pushing snow late in the week didn't help. My working is really interfering with my running. I think it is more of a work problem than a running addiction issue. Anyway, I got an appointment with my chiropractor for this Friday. I started seeing him in 1998 because of back issues. The back is something I'm always managing. Alison is having surgery on her left kne

e that morning in Charlotte. So she will be on the mend this spring again, but hopefully this will get her straightened out. She had surgery on the right knee in the fall of 2008 which helped that knee significantly.

We got about 9" of snow here on Friday night and Saturday, some places around got 17". I'm glad we didn't get the 17", that would have just been more work. This is the second significant snowfall this winter. We hadn't had a snowfall of more than 2" since 1996 before this winter. When I was growing up we had significant snowfalls basically every winter, so we may just be going back to normal winters. In the last 13 years, I think everyone has forgotten what snow is. At least people were smarter with the snow this time. In December when it snowed 10', we had right at 500 accidents in 24 hours in Surry county. The previous high was around 200. There was a report of 1 weather related death yesterday. Here's an excerpt from the local newspaper:

“He went out to his vehicle to crank it, and to remove the snow,” Surry Emergency Services Director said of the incident occurring about 6:40 a.m. at the man’s home.
He suffered the heart attack inside his residence after returning from clearing away snow, with subsequent resuscitation efforts failing.
“Indirectly, it’s attributable to the storm, no doubt,” the EMS director said of the death, adding that it illustrates the extra care people should take during snowy and chilly situations.

The news in small towns. Sorry for the man's death, but was this "weather" related or health/fitness related. I believed there has been several weather related orgasms as well. Or it could have been people stuck at home, bored, having sex. But weather related orgasms sounds better. This is what I was thinking about on my run in the snow yesterday. I can just picture the verb exchange: "What do think about all this snow?" "It's alright I reckon, but I did have a weather related orgasm." Hope you've had a weather related orgasm recently. (We'll see if my censor will approve this.)

Cory and I running in December as snow was falling.

The One Thing I've Figured Out and Know I'm Right About

2010-01-26T22:54:00.013-05:00

There is one thing that I am absolutely, unequivocally sure that I right about. I have spent some time thinking on this fact and I have found it to be true repeatedly in my life. It is one thing I no longer waste any time thinking on, it is a proven fact. I am wrong, a fallible human being. On a daily basis, there are any number of minor things I may be wrong on. It is often how long it will take me to do any given task, I never seem to plan enough time. Alison will attest to that. It may be what time I ran at a recent race or the lyrics to a song. Just any minor thing I may be wrong about. Then one day I had what I'll call an epiphany moment while thinking on how often I can be wrong on all these minor things. If I can't be reliably right on something minor, how could I ever be reliably right on anything major. (This started as a blog about the basis of my faith, but thought I needed to precede it with this point first.) Realizing the fact, and depth, of my wrongness was a true epiphany moment in my life. It changed how I looked at the world and the people I encounter. Whatever I may think, I could be wrong about it. Whether that thought is about God, the universe's origin, or another human's motivations, I could be wrong in what I think. In fact, by recognizing my wrongness I don't actually need to have the answers, because I might be wrong anyway.

Interestingly, most people seem to like my personal truth. I think many believe that they can teach me the right path in life. I know some girls that I have dated seemed to think this. They knew what was right and right for me. I remember one in particular really seemed to think this way. I don't think she understood why I would confess my wrongness and not readily follow all her guidance. She also didn't seem to get the fact that words are rather important to me. I mean exactly what I say, most of the time. And what I don't say is just as important as what I do say. She just filled in the gaps of what I didn't say with what she wanted to hear. So human interaction has led me to a second truth, though it took me a while to get to, mainly because I did not want to put labels on other people. But I believe this fact is almost as important as my wrongness. Other people are wrong too. In fact, I give very little credibility to a person who believes they are right on most anything. I'll listen to anyone and learn from anyone. But too often you can find something inaccurate in what a person may say or believe, but they will stubbornly believe they are right. They are right! Period. It is nearly impossible to prove to some people that they are wrong. And when you do, they have a hard time accepting it. For myself, to follow a person who is "right" feels dangerous. They will lead you wrong with no apprehension. Actually, a pet peave of mine is people who say they are sure they're right on something and then be wrong. I know people who will do this repeatedly. All a person has to do is say that they believe or think something correct. Just don't say you are sure. If I tell you I'm sure about something or I know something, I am sure. But I will only use that language on some minor fact. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl in 2009 or at least they had more points at the end of the game. My height is... are you asking without shoes or with shoes, and which shoes are you asking my height in? Another descriptor for me, everything is complicated with me. I think that is true about me, but I could be wrong. I digress.

Some may say that I do not believe in absolute truths. That all I see is grey, no black and white truths. I do believe in absolute truths, I just don't know what those truths are. I believe there either is a superior being(s), God, or there is not. Evolution and the big bang theory is correct or incorrect. I'm faster than a screech owl or I'm not. There is right and wrong, black and white. But I don't have the answer, maybe a few ideas, but no definitive conclusions. You could say that I live in a world of grey or I would like to think a kaleidoscope of color. And I hope that I appreciate all the color, the beautiful and the downright ugly. I believe in seeing it all, then choosing a path with no regrets. I make the best choice that I can and move on. If or when I find that I am wrong, I make ammends if need be and set a different course. So a coming blog is about the basis of my faith in God, which is based on hickory nuts, a couple of canoe trips, and my running. And Cory, whether you read this or not, we need to get together for another run soon. Since I'm putting this in a blog, you can talk more on our next run. Maybe.

Training: Week of Jan. 17, 2010

2010-01-24T12:58:00.007-05:00

Total mileage: 80

Races: none

Sun - Off

Mon - Morning 4m @7.34; Afternoon 8m @7.52 Total - 12

Tue - Morning 4 1/2m @7.41 with strides; Afternoon 8 1/2m @7.22 Total - 13

Wed - Morning 4m @7.32; Afternoon 10m - 3 1/2m tempo on the track(5.48; 5.47;

5.46; 2.53) Avg. 5.47 Total - 14

Thu - Morning 8m @7.31; Afternoon 5m @7.30 Total - 13

Fri - Morning 8m @7.31; Afternoon 4m @~7.30 Total - 12

Sat - Morning 8m @~7.40; Afternoon 8m @~7.45 Total - 16

Recovery week, but I still have some aches and pains bothering me more than I would like. So next week may be about the same mileage or less. I did some officiating at a Virginia Tech indoor meet on Friday and Saturday. There was some great competition there. I was sitting right beside Deedee Trotter in the outside lane before the start of her 400. I told Alison I should have reached out and put my hands around one of her quads to measure it; she had some big quads. But that might have made her mad and we would have had to fight:) I might could have asked first. Hazel Clark was also there running and Lacy Johnson was pole vaulting. Sam Chelanga, the 2009 NCAA CC champion, ran the mile with Josh McDougal rabbiting through about 800. I actually met Sam at White River 50 Mile in 2008. He was there to watch a friend. Ended up hanging out with him and others after the race. Then drove Sam, his friend, and Howard Nippert back to the airport the next day. Kind of a random meeting.

So Much to Say

2010-01-21T22:57:00.012-05:00

So Much to Say

I thought through

everything

I had to say,

until

I could say

nothing at all.

I had a some random things I thought about blogging the last couple of days and started to write. Then I started thinking. It made me think of this old poem of mine. So I'll just post it, this describes me quite well sometimes.

Training: Week of Jan. 10, 2010

2010-01-16T21:26:00.001-05:00

Total mileage: 102

Races: none

Sun - Morning 4m @7.32; Afternoon 8m @~7.30 Total - 12

Mon - Morning 4m @7.35; Afternoon 10m @~7.22 Total - 14

Tue - Morning 4m @7.25; Afternoon 10m @~7.27 Total - 14

Wed - Morning 4m @7.19; Afternoon 10m 4m progressive tempo on the track(5.59.8; 5.54.8;

5.49.8; 5.42) Avg. 5.51.6 Total - 14

Thu - Morning 4m @7.07; Afternoon 10m @<7.30>

Fri - Morning 4m @7.26; Afternoon 8m @7.10-7.25 Total - 12

Sat - Afternoon 22m @~7.34 Ran on trails at FRP(Fisher River Park) Total - 22

I am wiped out. This is the highest mileage week that I have ever done and actually just my second 100 mile week. The last three weeks were 100, 90, and 102 this week. That is by far the most mileage I have done in a 3 week period. I have also ran 24 days straight. That is my longest period with no days off since the last week of December, 1989. I am tired and just want to sleep. From Wednesday on this week it felt like an absurd effort just to get home from the afternoon runs at the high school. Wednesday and Saturday were my only quality days this week. Wednesday was supposed to be a harder day, actually a mountain workout. But I changed my mind after the morning run. Tomorrow is a day off. The plan for next week is 70-80 miles and hopefully one high quality mountain workout. The priority for next week is recover and reduce any aches or pains to zero.

Why I Coach

2010-01-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

On Monday, one of our high school track/cross country team members became a runner. Or at least we discovered he is a runner now. Monday is long run day for us. A runner, Tim, was told to run 35 minutes. I got started on my run a little later than most of the kids and I was running 75 minutes. As I was nearing the school I passed Tim, still out running. I went to the weight room and confirmed with Coach Mitchell that Tim was told to run 35 minutes. He had done longer long run days, but had been sick at the end of last week. When Tim came into the weight room, we asked how long he had run. He said 80 minutes, with a grin. In general, we would prefer the kids do what we tell them. In fact, Tim has only been told to run 65 or maybe 70 once. But he has probably heard Coach tell Jacob, a junior, to run 80 minutes. Jacob is the only kid on the team who would have been told to run that much. It made Coach and I both realize, two things. One, Tim is listening more than we might think. Second and most importantly, Tim ran 80 minutes for himself. He didn't run that because he was told to but because he chose to. Tim identifies himself as a runner. Tim runs for himself, it's one of the things that describes Tim.

A little background info for most you. Tim is a high school freshman who started running with us over the summer. He stood by himself and basically never spoke, even if spoken to. Coach asked him during the summer if he came because he wanted to or because his mother kept bring him back. Tim's answer, because his mother brought him every Tuesday and Thursday evening. But I know that is not his answer now. After cross country, I ran a 5K with him because I knew there was more there. He ran 23:40, about a two minute PR. Tim will never be a state champion, conference champion, or probably the winner of a single race. But winning is not required to be a runner. Being a runner is rather hard to define. The simple definition is putting one foot in front of the other with a flight or airborne phase in between the steps. Though, I don't think that defines being a runner. I could try to define it, but why. If you're a runner, you just know what being a runner is about. And now, I see a runner in Tim. Seeing him change and open up is really more rewarding than any state champions I have coached or will coach. Seeing kids discover that they can do more than they thought they could is a reward unto itself. Tim may not always run, but I hope and believe he has learned some lessons about himself that will carry beyond running. That is why I coach.

So that I don't sound too philosophical and... nice. I'll tell you that many of the kids would say I'm mean and maybe a jerk. I think they just don't get it yet. One of my favorite quotes from this fall will probably fit well here. It was on a run with Cory, a 20 year old, former runner from our high school. Talking about running, coaching, and various kids through the years, he said some of his friends ask why he hangs out with me. Then Cory looked at me and with a straight face said, "I like being around you more than most people do."

CENSORSHIP

2010-01-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

My close friends are going to say, "Well that sounds about like Jason." This is your warning on reading further, some of you may wonder what's wrong with him or not. On a lighter note, I'll make the next blog about running.

I think one of the things that has kept me from doing a blog is censoring myself. I really don't like doing it. I could simply write about my running and all the niceties of life. It would be a normal blog, maybe a normal running blog. I like reading my friend's blogs, but their personality is not my personality. I'm not normal, some of them aren't either. Writing has always been my outlet, so blogging falls in that category. Personally, I think that I am a rather odd person, which is probably one reason I like runners. Many runners are a bit different. I realize many or most people think that they are odd. Though over the years, I have had many friends confirm my above average sense of weirdness. An added problem is that I'm quite comfortable with my uniqueness. Why be ashamed of who you are? I don't require or expect people like me. I hope people do, but I don't spend much time worrying about it.

Many people that a person knows or are acquaintances with only know a small part of you. Blogging can put yourself out there for all to see, at least with me it will. Even family only knows certain side of you. Which a friend of mine told me today that I may not want to tell my family about my blog. My family is rather religious, Christian, Southern Baptist. My father is a pastor and has been for the majority of my life. An example of my dilemma is "curse" words. I rarely use them, in fact I never used them until I was 26(a blog for another time). I do sometimes now, but I am generally careful around whom I use them. Although the majority of my cursing has taken place while talking to God in the years between 1999 and 2002(also maybe a blog for another time). I also don't really believe in "curse" words. I believe in bad or inappropriate language. But is an individual word "bad" just because most of society deems it "bad." Back to my example, I have never heard my parents use "curse" words. Many friends and most of my family have never heard me use "curse" words. My parents would be surprised and disappointed about some things they would read on my blog.

I like being real, though. Probably too real for most people. Probably too real for my wife, Alison. I believe she is concerned about what I will write.(She is going to censor my blog for now. For your own protection she says.) Though, realness is one of the things I love about the Bible. It is no holds barred, real. Church tends to hide from this, one of my issues with church. I like reading about people in the Bible and seeing its truth. Abraham followed God on a journey. He made many poor decisions, laughed in the face of God, but eventually learned to have real faith. I once gave a message to some youth titled, Noah got Drunk, Peter fished Naked, and I mooned my Sister-in-Law, You're Probably Okay. I believe Christians too often spend their time pretending to be perfect or very close to it. I will claim to be wholly imperfect, but believe God is okay with that. He may instruct me on being better, but I'm not going to make it to perfect. That is my journey. I believe we have the opportunity to be Living Bible Stories. I like getting to know people, the real person, warts and all. Those are the people I learn the most from and experience God in. I doubt anyone can really shock me. I know that I am full of s___, but I'm willing to share it. Maybe later I'll stop censoring myself so much.

Stacey, you said you try to write as if you are talking to me, or Coach, or Crystal. I tried to write as if we were talking at a meet or on the bus. What do you think?

Starting to Speak

2010-01-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

Narrow Opening

starting to speak

inhibitions renew

and grips confusion’s fear

he burst and spew

full inside

but no opening just a crack

to seep out the light

or more the tears

a trickle down the long hallway

only this small fracture

only little release

This is something that I wrote on the first page of a journal in August 2000. I find it fitting for my first post on my blog. I am not sure how to do my blog, so it will basically be like me, random. I would not consider it necessarily a running blog, but there will be a lot of blogs about running. Running is a big part of my life, but it is not my life. There is sure to be some personal philosophy and religion. Those are big parts of me as well. I plan on my blogging to be just as my title says, Life through the eye of a runner, albeit a rather warped runner. So beware, as many of my friends know, you never know what will come out of me. Or when. Follow my blog at your own risk. I am not responsible for any brain damage caused from reading this blog.