I have been chasing a 5K PR most of the spring.  I signed up for the Freight Train 5K hoping to give myself another shot.  As I woke up at 4:50am on a Sunday morning, which is never fun, the amount of thunder and lightening was staggering.  The race itself was not close to home so I knew I had a drive ahead of me.  I had no idea what the weather would be like on the drive so I decided t pull up a weather map and take a look.  I looked and saw a lot of orange, red and purple on the map between me and the race and I knew that could not be good!

There was actually a part of me that thought about not making the over hour drive but the weather on the other side of town looked fine so I would not be deterred.  Well, the drive was something.  I don’t really know how to describe it, I will just say it was something.  By the time I got to the race area I was just relieved to have made it.

Thankfully I gave myself plenty of time so there were no issues on scrambling to the race start.  I went out for a warm up and we were about 10 minutes from start of the race when the sky opened up.  It was not one of those rains where you will get a little wet, it was one of those that soaks you from head to toe.  We started the race just a couple of minutes late.

I had tried to hide myself under a tree to get as much shelter as I could when all of the sudden I saw runners taking off quickly for the start line.  I was not close so I had to take off on a sprint to get there.  By the time I get there we are getting ready to start.  My clothes feel like they weighed about 10 pounds.

The race itself was fine.  The organizers actually did a very solid job on a tough day.  I knew standing at the start line a PR was out of the question as we would find ourselves dancing through the puddles for 3.1 miles.

A part of me thinks about the decision of 4:50am to get up and drive through the mess to go run.  Was it a waste of time?  Was it worth it?  For me it was a reminder, things never go the way you planned.  I planned to run a certain time on a certain course.  Instead, I feel like I walked away reminding myself you have to continue to learn how to respond.

What happens when things don’t go the way you want?  In a matter of just over 8 weeks I will be in Philly running for 24 hours.  I can assure there will be points of the race where things will not be going how I want them to.  How do I respond?

Sunday, I kept driving in the storm to get to the start line.  I kept running through the rain and puddles to finish even though my goal was never within reach.

So, was it worth it?  Without a doubt!  It is amazing the lessons you can learn when you least expect it.  How do you respond when success is no longer an option?

Happy running….

Well, I was very afraid to type this out.  Once my wife reads that she is going to be surprised to find out that her husband is not perfect! 

Ok, so I am guessing this might not come as a shock to her.  In fact, I am sure she can list all the ways I am not. 

So why does it matter?  What does this have to do with running?  I am getting there.  First, I do think admitting you are a flawed person or runner is vital to success.  One of my favorite runners is Anthony Famiglietti.  “Run Fam”.  I love his Reckless Running website and resources.

I remember watching him in Eugene Oregon at Hayward Field years ago and he took off like a mad man.  He won that race hanging on for dear life.  Watching him win and watching that style was an experience!  I was captivated from that point on.  Is he a perfect runner?  Nope.  But he captivated me and grabbed my attention.  He was even criticized during the race for his strategy.  He did not care though, he won.

I also remember at the London Olympics watching the women’s marathon and there was a runner with one of the strangest strides for an elite I had ever seen.  The commentator was amazed she could be so strong for having that form.  We there are two examples of flawed runners…but fantastic runners.  In fact they are runners I would gravitate to more than others.  Why?  They remind me of me…flawed.  I can’t relate to perfect form.  I can’t relate to a perfect stride.  I love seeing athletes make it happen who I can relate with.  Those who might appear flawed but they don’t care.

I am told by my Dad, that he can see me coming from a distance because he recognizes my stride.  He said he knows my stride from everyone else.  I have a few different strides.  First, the strong finish stride.  Second, the steady finish stride.  Last, the dear God get me to the finish stride! 

One of the things I love about racing is looking around at all the different strides and running styles.  It is the way we move our arms, how we kick our legs or even how we land on our feet.  There are so many unique styles.  I think you have to be really careful in trying to change what someone does.  There are so many styles, paces and ways we run.  It is what makes us each different.

I hear many runners say they feel like they run strange or different.  Well, join the rest of us.  We are all flawed runners.  Now, I do believe in being efficient.  How can I get from Point A to Point B using the least amount of energy.  The answer is not always running the same way as the world’s best runners.  The answer just might be doing it my way.  The only way I know how.

Being flawed does not mean we settle for not being excellent.  Being flawed does not mean we don’t look for ways to improve.  In my mind it simply means accepting who I am is who I am and not being sorry for that.  I am a flawed husband and father to be certain.  I was a flawed child growing up.  I am a flawed leader today.  However, I am also real.  I am real and doing my best to be better and more efficient every day.  Just like running I just want to be better tomorrow than today.  My first step, knowing I am flawed.

So join the club, with those of us that are flawed and trying to get better. 

Happy running….

In the past few weeks there have been runs where I would rather have just packed it in and go home for the day.  It is those moments that prepare you.  No matter what the race distance, the tough moments in training need to be embraced.  At what point in that marathon will you have a choice to make?  Do you press on through the difficult moments?

I had a decision to make yesterday that borderlined on stupidity.  I did my long run on a treadmill.  I think 2009 was the last time I did something like that.  It was a conscience decision.  I knew it would be amazing mental training for this summer.  For me once I get 3 minutes into a treadmill run I am ready to stop!  So doing 90+ minutes on a treadmill does something more for you than physical training.

Not every run you do in training will launch you to a wonderful cloud nine moment with a runner’s high.  You will have to force yourself on somedays to power through that 5 mile run where you feel like garbarge.  Making that decision on an ordinary day will help prepare you to make that decision on race day.

Having a difficult moment?  Just run right through it.

Happy running….

I could still use your support for the 24 hour race in Philly this summer!  The smallest amount would help.  I have the link below.

http://20in24.com/donation-form.html?kwoAdvocateId=5N7CO25

“Believe that you can run farther or faster.  Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do.  Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.”  John Bingham

That is my word for this week.  A strange word for this week considering the amount of work I have left to do.  A strange word considering I have not done my longest or hardest runs yet.  I think because I have done this before I have more belief than I have had in the past.  I don’t believe that it is blind faith.  I know I have work left to do but I believe if I do the things I need to do, I can get this done.  My confidence in my training has been getting stronger each week.

The next 7 weeks is really where this will have to happen.  I know what is in front of me now and I know what needs to be done. 

One other detail that has helped me recently is word of belief.  I was listening to an interview the other day on the DFL Ultrarunning podcast with Ed Ettinghausen, who has finished more ultra marathons in a few days than I have ever run in my life, and his belief in others was contagious.  It really inspired me to help believe in myself.  Words of life.  How many times do we give others words of life?  You probably never know how much someone might need it.  There are many times I have said something to others and at the time I thought I felt silly.  I know no idea if it helped or not, but I was glad I did it. 

Ed has no idea what he did for me getting ready to run in 11 weeks but it was words of life for me.  Training is training and you do all you can do but words of life can give you the belief you need to carry you to the finish.  Training for this is some physical but really heavy on the mental side.

Can you speak words of life to someone today?  They might need it.

Training by the numbers. 

Training was very light last week getting ready for the 5K.  I am doing a little recovery this week and I get it ramped up again this week.

Last week’s miles- 35

I still have plenty of open spots for you to sponsor.  I would love to have your help!

http://20in24.com/donation-form.html?kwoAdvocateId=5N7CO25

The training cycle can be a long arduous process.  There are a couple of very important things to remember as you train.  You won’t be successful if you don’t train hard.  However, you won’t be successful if you are training too hard.  The idea is not to have a long successful series of training run, but to have a great race.  Injuries will also never get you to that start line.

The truth is, if you are not pushing yourself you are probably not growing.  One of the important things to concentrate on in training is making sure you have a nice rotation of easy/hard days in your training.  Doing back to back speed work outs or tempo runs for any length of time is a recipe for injury.  Just as you would do in lifting weights it is important to follow a hard day of training with and easy day.  Simple concept of course, but it is also common to forget that the easy days are an important part of the training.  The easy days are where recovery happens.  This is where your body heals and where it grows.  As we break down our body in training it is the recovery that actually makes us grow.

It is also important to use this philosophy at points during training weeks as well.  As you build up your mileage it is a great idea every 3-4 weeks to back the mileage and intensity down for a week.  That is sometimes easier said than done.  That is what my current week looks like.  With about 11 weeks before the 24 hour race it feels like a bad time to back it off.  That means it is a great time to back it off for a week.  Your body will generally tell you when to back off but sometimes that can be too late.  It is like taking walk breaks in a marathon.  By the time you feel you have to take them, it is too late!

Walking that line is not the easiest thing in the world but practice in training sure helps. 

Happy running….

6:06 pace was my goal for 3.1 miles.  The training has been great, tough but great.  I know I am stronger than I was 12 weeks ago.  I am putting up faster race times than ever before.  (Big thanks to my coach..Brian)

This is a race I did two years ago.  It is a race I have had on the calendar for a while.  The course is fair.  It starts out flat and gets challenging as you go.

As we took off from the start line I decided to practice patience.  I did not press the issue right out of the gate.  After about a quarter of a mile I glanced at my watch and was pleased with the pace.  The first mile was quite interesting.  We go into a neighborhood and have a u-turn and had to navigate through the runners to make a right hand turn.  I literally had to cut in the middle of runners to make my turn.

I felt incredible my first mile and thought this could be my day.  I settled in as the fifth runner at that point.  My first concern was approaching the first mile marker.  My watch told me 5:52 but I could still see the marker ahead of me.  It took me 12 more seconds to reach the marker.  I knew the course was going to get tougher and I was hoping to bank some time the first mile.  It did not play out like I wanted.

The next mile starts with a long gradual hill.  I knew this would be my slowest mile before the race started.  It is a tougher mile than the others.  I was feeling it a little bit that mile.  I knew I would give some time back this mile, but I also knew I had the final mile where I could finish strong and get it back.  I was sitting at 6:19 for mile 2.  We ducked into another subdivsion for this mile and we were headed back to the high school where we would finish.

The biggest hill came next but I was prepared.  I still felt good.  I knew I needed close to a 6:00 minute mile and I held it most of the way, even with the hill.  I was gradually picking up some ground on 4th place but the only thing I cared about was the clock.

My first doubt was coming.  I had done a warm up prior to the race and I knew how far I had let to run.  It seemed like I had more distance than my watch indicated.  I heard the watch beep for mile 3 and again I could see the mile marker a good distance ahead.  The watch beeped at 6:05 for that mile.  Once I reached the mile marker I cut it loose the best I had.

One last look at the watch before a turn to home and I knew I was off the time.  I had a nice finish of about a 5:54 pace the final stretch.  19:27.

Well?

I missed it.  Again.

I was disappointed but not upset.  I felt I ran hard and smart.  I ran the race I planned to run.  Each race is unique and you just never know what will happen.  I have just over 9 weeks until the Peachtree and just over 11 weeks to Philly.  I can see another 5K very soon in my future.  Not giving up on 18:59 quite yet!

I would say it again, all you can do is all you can do.  As I crossed the line I felt I did all that I could do.

The other highlight of the day was we had a great time as a family.  My 9 year old ran his 2nd 5K and finished with a solid time of 27:02.  My 6 year old son and wife did the fun run.  I was great to have the whole family running.

18:59?  Will it happen or not?  Good question but I am not giving up quite yet!  I think I will have another shot in May.

Next up, solid training for the Peachtree and keep pushing for Philly.

Happy running….

That is my word for this week.  It is not a word I like.  It was not my goal for this week but it is what I have.  Sometimes you just have to use what you have.  Why anxiety?

1- I need help.  Last time I ran this race alone.  I ran alone on the course which is not going to change but I also ran this race for myself and pretty much by myself.  So far I am running this race for 7 others who are sponsoring me.  That is 7 hours I will have my mind thinking about that support and knowing there are no options.  I have to keep moving.  That leaves me with 17 hours not sponsored.  I would love to have your help.  I need 17 supporters to get me to my 24 hour finish.  See the link below and I can let you know what hours are available.  Any donation would be incredible!

http://20in24.com/donation-form.html?kwoAdvocateId=5N7CO25

2- It’s race week.  The Dale Sanders 5K is tomorrow night.  The last 12 weeks I have been training hard to reach 18:59.  Does that happen on Friday night?

3- The training.  I feel like training is going really well.  The past two weeks my mileage has been close to 50 miles a week.  I have my long run at 14 miles.  The difference is that I looked back at my training 2 years ago and I was doing some long mileage to get ready for a 24 hour race.  I am trying not to compare.  I know how I need to train this time and it was not the same as I did two years ago.  That being said, I can’t undo anything.  I can’t rewind 10 weeks and start over.  I have to trust in my training and believe this will work.

After last year and my injuries I know reality tells me I am still building back up.  Two years ago I was close to 70 miles a week getting ready.  I am just not in a place where I can do that right now.  Will that stop me from being successful in the race?  I don’t believe that.

However, the fact that I am bringing it up let’s you know what the voice in the back of my head is telling me!

Other than some anxiety training is going without a hitch.  I feel pretty healthy, my workouts have been solid and I have been feeling really good about my long runs to this point.  May will be a big month.  There will be some longer runs in coming up in the next 6-8 that will finish my training.  12 weeks away!!!  I can’t believe we are 12 weeks away!

Excited…but a little anxious!

Happy running….

This is actually a tip for me.  Last month about 9 days before the Georgia Marathon I twisted my ankle.  I have a long standing relationship with twisted ankles.  It has become a bit of a hobby.  This makes trail running quite the obstacle for me.  Yesterday, as I finish my final training week for the Dale Sanders 5K, I did the same flippin’ thing!  Are you kidding me?!

Maybe I should not run the final couple of weeks before a race.  Ok, maybe that is taking it too far but still I think it is important to be smart.  In reality I probably could have seen it coming.  I was running through a bed of pine straw after crossing the street.  Next thing I know I am down on all fours praying it was ok.

I did run the final mile that I had left and I just tried to keep it loose.  I think it will be fine.  I have had these before and though it felt bad at the time I can tell it is not one of the worst ones I have had.

The truth is, you can’t live in a bubble but as you get close to a race but you can exercise caution.  I like to think about risk versus reward.  Especially for a marathon but I think the logic is good for any race.  As you get closer to a race, what are the things that you should and should not do?  What are the best rewards from specific workouts as you get close to the event?

It is very important to stay sharp for the race, however you don’t want to pull anything either when you can’t gain a valuable benefit.  At the end of the day, there is not an easy answer.  I would say just weigh your options.  What will this workout do for me?

As for me, the next time I get the urge to run across a bed of pine straw, yes I might try to find another way across.

Happy running….