Wheeww.
I haven't posted much over the last week because i have been trying to get my self caught up in school, the army, wrestling, and running. Holy crap i can multitask, lol.

One of the craziest feelings is thinking about how lazy i have been. Last week after my "injury" i took 3 days off. I ran another 7 then took a few days then ran a 5 this past monday. I took tuesday off ran for 10-15 minutes on wednesday followed by 15 minutes of plyometrics. I took thursday off and today i will be going another 10-15 minutes.

I feel so inadequate taking all this time off. I talked to a friend has been running for years about this feeling and apperantly its quite normal. Man does it suck though. My next post will be sunday or possibly monday. Talk to you all soon.

What motivates you....

After work today i went for a run. I should have figured something strange would happen. So while i was running i noticed my feet felt heavy, seriously. I kept going and then noticed my calves felt like thay had NO stretch or give to them. Anyway, i am running along a road with alot of traffic and i am almost getting clipped by passing cars. So i hop off to the side of the road where there is high grass and i sink slightly. I start to high knee through the grass and when i finally get out the my lower leg is throbbing. Its a combination of my soleus and the proximal potion of my achillies just below my calve head. Holy cow I am limping around like crazy. I guess i need to rest it now.....shoooooot!! With the marathon less than 10 days away i am kind of bumming now. Ahh well R.I.C.E is probably the best thing at this point, much to my dismay. Its the same leg that was bothering me a few days weeks ago. Ah well i will post again soon.


"Whats the matter Lloyd? Philly break your heart?" "No it was a girl."
Harry and Lloyd

Felt alot better today. My wife and daughter stayed home from school and work today so we got to hang out. At around 12:45pm i laced up my brooks adrenaline 6 and went to work. I ran 7.5 miles in 60 minutes on an extremely hilley course. I had an awesome run pounding out each mile with relative ease. Actually at that pace i felt i could have gone forever. I am not planning on going much farther than 7-10miles at a clip this week due to the race being 11 days out. It was friggen cold!!! today too. 46 degrees with the wind blowing in my face at around 15mph.......holy crap COLD, lol. After a little while i started to calm down but the cold air blowing on my knees caused them to ache a little but not to bad. My feet didn't feel all that bad, in fact i was kind of comfortable up until i stopped. Then my friggen blisters started yelling curse words at me. Ah well good stuff. The brooks shoes that i have been wearing have broken in very nicely and are very comfortable to run in now.

4hrs....i am going to break 4hrs.

"See it, believe it, live it, breath it............do it."

So today after being in a horrible mood I didn't even want to put my running shoes on. Seriously when it rains it friggen pours. There is no such thing as a small or shallow valley, ya know. I guess i would rather be in the mountains. One thing i am always reminded of though is that you never know how great the mountains are unless you have to travel through a valley once in a while. This is the same with running.
Anyway, so today i did a small run and, dare i admit this, i did it on a treadmill. I ended up running for 60 minutes on a 2% grade at 7 miles an hour. After 34 minutes i jumped up to 7.5 miles an hours and finished just at 7.25 miles. I really could have gon for another few hours but i had to pick up my daughter. All in all it was a good run minus the blisters acting up on my feet again. In the middle of my run I decided that with all the other people on treadmills around me i was not going get off my treadmill until everyone else did first. This included everyone on the elypticals too. When i had 15 minutes remaining i wasn't going to count anyone who got on at this time. The longest anyone lasted was 20 minutes, lol. I kept thinking about Dean Karnazes running on a treadmill for 48 hours straight and it really made my 1hr feel so little, lol. All in all it was a good run though. I wanted to sit in the schools sauna for a while but it was closed. Ahhh well. I am not going to write much tonight but i hope you all have a good night.

I had a question under the comment section where is was asked what fatigues on me first and what type of shoes do i prefer. Also, do i like lightweight over cushion. So here are my responses...
On long runs the first thing to fatigue is my mind, seriously, followed by my feet. My mind will play tricks on me so quickly when i run that literally it constantly tries to pursuade me that failing is the best option. When running trails and roads at the same time i use Nike Pegasus, this is probably my favorite shoe but it wears out so fast on me. When running roads i use Brooks Adrenaline 6s but i have heard they work great on trails too, and when i run technical trails i use La Sportiva. I prefer support over cushion.

I keep thinking about 100 miles....at one time.....in less then 24hrs....is it possible for me?

What do you do when the odds are stacked so high against you that winning seems impossible. What do you do with adversity? Have you ever stood before a giant with a sling and a stone? Have you ever hit "the wall"? It doesn't need to be running but at anything in life? Do you run from challenges or towards them? Giving up is so easy and honestly is so much more practical. Guess what.....the decisions you make right now will/can effect the rest of your life.

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=sBs7RGzhaI8

The above link is to an awesome fighter that still pumps me up before a workout. Enjoy.

2 Weeks until the Marathon...........woop woop

Yesterday before work i decided to hammer out a 13 mile run. I ended going on some rail trails which are more flat then anything to simulate this upcoming marathon. I felt pretty good but i remembered how much i hate running on flat pavement, lol. Give me trails and mountains and i will be happy for hours. Ah well it was good though. The weather was in the low 40's with some wind and i kept snotting on myself when i was running but it wasn't to bad, i guess.
I had a new pair of wicked socks on and my feet blistered up after just a few miles. It sucked bad, but i kept thinking of something Dave Goggins said during the 06' badwater race. To summarize it was something to the effect, "It didn't matter if i stopped and changed my shoes my feet were still going to hurt no matter what, so why stop...", pretty awesome. I have some spots that i need to tape for the marathon. I am glad i found them now and not during the marathon.
I averaged 8:40 to 8:45 minute miles which is right on course for the marathon pace i was shooting for. Granted i am not the fasted guy out there but i pride myself on being consistant and persistant.

"Risk everything, or gain nothing"
--Geoffrey De Charny, 1358

Today i had myself scheduled for an 18 mile run and for whatever reason i was feeling very antsy about it so decided instead crosstrain a little and get out on a bike. I haven't rode much in the last 5 months even though i really enjoy it. The last time i rode i hoped a curb and bent my back rim......oh that fat jokes that could come from this. Anyway, i called a friend and asked to use his mountain bike, an Iron Horse, the bike with its gel seat was like the cadillac of bikes, lol. I ended up going 44.5 miles in 3hrs 20 min. I stopped for about 20 minutes to eat and fuel up so the ride took me about 3hrs. It was a good break from running but i was more board on a bike than i am when i run. Weird, i know, but true.
Well i am about 2.5 weeks out from the Huntington Marathon. I don't know if i stated my goal at all. I have had alot of people emailing me with questions and advice so i don't remember if i stated it outloud yet or not.

My GOALS for this run are:
1) Finish
2) Finish in 4hrs or less

This is a lofty goal for my size but i believe its realistic. I just can't jump out of the gate to fast, ya know.

I recieved a message asking about how much and how long when i decided to start running again. Well I figured i would post it here because its good info, i think anyway.

A few months ago i was really getting down on myself with how i looked and it is still a struggle. I decided to start running to lose weight---big mistake. When you run to loose weight you start to focus more on the scale and the mirror than you do the running, at least i did. So i set small goals for myself. "Today i am going to run 5 miles instead of 3." "Today i am not going to stop and walk the "big" hill." I started to focus more on other goals and weight started coming off. The scale didn't show it to much but my clothes fit different. So next I decided on my 29th b-day to run a 10K. I didn't realize how far i had let myself get out of running shape until i did this race. After the race I felt like garbage and started to get really depressed about getting older. All i kept thinking about was, "I am going to be 30 soon and my life feels like its going no where." I was in Barnes and Noble and happend upon a book, "UltraMarathon Man, confessions of an all night runner" by Dean Karnazes. I literally couldn't put the book down. I hammered the book out in 2 days and decided, "today i am going to change". Not because of the book, not for other people, not for people to pat me on the back, not for people to be in awe cause i puff my chest out and declare "i am a runner and i run far". No, it was for me. So quitely i started running. Not really saying anything to anyone.
My first "big" run was what i like to call my cleansing run. At the time i hadn't been running anything over 5 miles at a clip and i up and decided, "screw this, dean ran 30 miles being out of shape i am going to run at least 20 being in shape." I ended up running 23 miles just for good measure and to prove to myself that i still have some grit and drive left. Since that time i have run 4-5 runs that were over 20 miles each and ran a 50k race. I can honestly say the 50K run was the best run i have ever had. I hurt but i wasn't broken. There is a bible verse/prayer that kept popping into my head that alot of Army Rangers use during ruck marches. I actually prayed it while i was running. "Lord help me to Run and not grow weary and if i need to walk help me to walk and not grow faint". My mind was off running and the pain and i really enjoyed trail.
So this is where i am.

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."
--Thomas Jefferson

This morning before class i hit 8 miles. I filled my water bottle with some coffee and hit pounded out a few miles. After class I hit another 4 miles. I have to be honest with you, those were my happiest miles in a while. I had the most beautiful running partner running with me, my wife. She did a great job and it was nice to talk to someone while i ran.

Last night i stumbled across a web site that amazed me. I am going to post the site. Its not very often i stumble across a site that motivates and depresses me at the same time. Motivates because i realy believe, no matter how korny this may sound, each one of us has greatness in us we just need to find it. Depressed because i realized this guy has done more in his life in such a short period of time then i may ever do. He literally does more in one day of training then i do in a week training. It is just amazing what the human body can endure and keep going. I think we have only recently to tap into the human body's potential. Reading about and listening to him is truly inspiring.

www.the100mileman.com/davidgoggins/

This quote sums up exactly how i felt after my 50K run. Crazy huh? I guess its the competitive side in me. I am really determined to see how far i can push myself. ahhh well i guess we'll see.

"I celebrate a victory when I start walking off the field. By the time I get to the locker room, I'm done."
-- Tom Osborne

I had to work 12 1/2 hrs. today so i didn't have a chance run today. With my calve feeling a little better I thought it best to just finish taking the rest of this day off and running tomorrow. I will be running in the morning and then my wife and i are planning a small run tomorrow in the after noon. I will post more after the run. Here is a great quote that is my brother Adam's favorite.


"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
-- Vince Lombardi

I woke up today with my lower part of my leg hurting so i decided not to hit 10 miles today. This give me an opportunity to dive into why i started this blog and hopefully shed light into my brain.
I started this blog site as a way to keep me motivated and persistant in my ultimate goal of running 100 miles straight. My upcoming race schedule looks like this:

• Nov 2, 2008 The Huntington Marathon in Huntington, Wv
• Thanksgiving day Race for the Diamonds (9 miles) in Berwick, Pa
• March 28, 2009 Bel Monte 50 mile race in Va. This run will be a potential qualifier for my ultimate race goal of 100 miles.

I am sure there will be other races between now and march, but as of now this what my schedule looks like. I am going to track my progress using this blog site. I ran dozens of 5Ks, 10Ks, 9 mile, and 1/2 marathons since the age of 12. I am 5'8" and range from 190-200lbs. I don't fit the typical "look" of a runner, heck i don't even dress like a runner when i run. I don't have Nike running shorts(I do need a pair), instead i usually wear baggy mesh shorts. I don't wear special wicked shirts. I don't have the best running shoes. I don't even own a heart monitor. I don't run for vanity or a pat on the back. What i do run for is to loose myself. There is nothing like falling into, what i can only describe as, a rhythmic meditation. I don't worry about a job, school, family, or life. I enjoy running.

After reading a book, don't roll your eyes, by Dean Karnazes I realized that I just might have the potential to forever change me. I decided to run beyond a marathon. These runs are called Ultra Marathons because the distance is anything beyond 26.2 miles. So about 3 1/2 months ago I decided to commit myself. I contacted my brother Jude, who happened to be the only person i know that ever ran an Ultra, and asked all sorts of advice. The seed was planted and now it was time to make it happen. No more short cuts, no more easy way out. If i am going to do this I have to put the time and energy into it. Well with that said, I ran my first ULTRA on OCT 6, 2008 and i posted about it as my first post which you can read below. I learned a LOT about myself past, present, and future. I can honestly say it changed me.

As i may have stated earlier the ultra running community is small but dedicated. I have found that most are intraverted but we can function in an extraverted enviroment. I have not found a nicer more friendly group of people while running, ever! So whether your running, training, looking to do either or you just want help out please do. I am always looking for advice, hoping to motivate, and constantly trying to make myself better. Please post or email me questions, comments, or concerns. I am going to leave you with a quote that is darn near every trail runners thought. I don't know who the original quote is from but it is one of my favorites. My most spiritual life changing moments have come while running, especially in the woods.

"I would rather be in the mountains thinking about GOD than in church thinking about the mountains"

Just finished a 35 minute run. My legs and feet felt so heavy. I have a 10 mile run scheduled for tomorrow but i may have to back off a little.
One of the great things about running and/or long distances is that i can eat almost anything i want guilt free. I don't but just to know i can is a good feeling.
I am running the Huntington Marathon Nov. 2. If anyone one who reads this is planning on being there let me know. I have a little posse going already but the more the marrier. Time for work. Have a great day.

So yesterday 09 OCT was my first day of running since the 50k the sunday prior. I felt good but my legs were a little stiff still. I ran in a new pair of running shoes so i really didn't want to kill myself. The run was 3.75 miles at 8:30pm. I love running at night especially now that fall is setting in. The air is cool and crisp and there is stillness that you don't find alot during summer runs.

The reason for the blogs are to keep me motivated and dedicated to the sport i love. Running for some is painful even masochistic. For some its an escape, a time to meditate, a time to explore, a time for change, or even a time to dream but, for me, i literally "loose" myself. I will think and explore myself through discipline, pain, and patience. One of my favaorite sayings is "IF YOU RAN WITHOUT SACRIFICE, CONGRATULATIONS. YOU JUST JOGGED."

My first ULTRA

Awesome is the first word that comes to mind. I learned so much about myself it isn't even funny. I had two goals entering into this run, 1. finish 2. finish in under 6hrs i ended up finishing in 5hr 55 min. I coudn't be happier.The race was the Blues Cruise 50K near Reading, Pa. I prepared for this over the last 3 1/2 months by training roads and trails averaging between 30-50 mile weeks. At 5'8" and 195lbs(on race day) i am not exactly the picture of an endurance runner, but i was happy to see alot of people who looked like me...well minus all the tattoos, lol. The trails were beautiful and the friends i made on the trail were even more amazing then the scenery. The aid stations were packed with food, gels, drinks, and entertainment. The most pain i experienced on the trail, oddly enough, didn't come from my legs, knees, hips or anything like that. It was my guts and my feet. The last 10 miles of the race i felt a mix between quezzy and bloated and my feet blistered up. My foot issues were due to my socks and the queezy feeling i am not sure what that was due to.
I really didn't eat food but this is was my oral intake looked like

6 liters of water
2 Gel packs
1 pack sport beans
10 S-caps
3 ibuprophen
At the aid stations i had
1 cup of coke
2 cups of water
6 cups of Heed(not even sure what this is)
3 cups of Mt. Dew

With 1/2 mile left in the race i felt my blood sugar drop dramatically. I got sick to my stomach and i got real shakey feeling. Strangely though i wasn't in pain. My feet eventually went numb(i would have stopped and taped them if the race was any longer) I had no pain in my knees or hips. I have read numerous articles about people actually having hallucinations from running distances ranging from marathons straight on up to 100 milers. I didn't have this but i will tell you i kept hearing people breathing as they ran up behind me. Every time i would move aside to let them pass there was no one there, lol. Ah well it was a fun time and i am already mapping out my next one. Hope you all have a great day thanks to everyone for your the advice.