Training Weeks of October 10-November 28, 2010

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?

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

Training Weeks of August 15-October 3, 2010

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

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

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.

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.