19 days to go...

In 19 days, I am going to participate in my 10th adventure relay when I run with my fellow Sprouts teammates in the Ragnar Del Sol here in Arizona.  8 of the 9 relays I have participated in were on the road.  My 9th relay last fall was my first trail relay run (see Nov. 15, 2015 blog post).  I really enjoy running these races as they allow me to challenge my running ability along with having a lot of fun with people who share my passion for the sport.  It is by far the most supportive environment for runners of all abilities allowing them to stretch themselves further than they may believe they can go.

This year's Del Sol will also be the first time I get to share this crazy event with someone from my family.  My son Nathan is joining us this year and will be running as Runner #2.  I, for the first time, will be Runner #1 meaning I get to start the race for our team.  What I think is going to be so special for this race is the ability to not only share the experience with my son but to be able to hand off the slap bracelet to him as I finish each of my legs sending him off on his own adventure.

Our team is starting at 6:45 am on Friday February 19th in Wickenburg.  My first leg is 8.6 miles and rated very hard.  My goal is to get out there and push it as much as I can after the first mile.  My second 2 legs are more manageable and not as difficult.  I want to get my team off to a good start.  After leaving Sunset Park and getting onto Vulture Mines Rd., I don't have to make any turns.  So I should be able to lock in to a good pace and cruise to the exchange where Nathan will be waiting for me.

Nathan's first leg is 5.5 miles and rated moderate.  As you can see from the hill profile, it is all downhill after leaving the exchange area.  Nathan was a cross country runner in high school so I don't think the distance will be a problem for him. I told him to remember that there are two additional legs after this one and to make sure not to push too hard so that it affects his next runs.  He assured me he could handle it.  Oh to be 24 again!

After resting while the other 10 runners complete their legs, I will be jumping out of the van to run Leg 13.  It is a 4.0 mile run on a flat course.  It is rated moderate.  I am planning to really push my pace on this leg as it is short and flat.  I want to see if I can get my average pace to a sub-9 on the combined legs.   I think it is doable.  Since I am not racing again until April, I have plenty of time to recover.  Plus I have been training on hills which should make the flat legs seem easy.

When I hand it off to Nathan for his second leg, he will be running his hardest leg.  Leg 14 is a 6 mile run on a flat course.  There are several turns which Nathan will have to watch for as he runs.  Ragnar usually does a good job of marking the course.  Plus with over 300 teams, he will be able to follow the other runners.  Nathan has been training for this race including a few runs of 6 mile.  I am certain he will be able to knock this out with relative ease.

We then have a long rest period again before I have to jump out of the van to run Leg 25.  This will be my easiest leg.  I plan to push the pace to the maximum as it is a basically flat route.  Since I won't have to run again, the 3.8 miles will seem easy and I don't have to save anything up.  I can just leave it all out there on the course.  I will then be handing it off to Nathan for his final leg.  I am interested in seeing how he feels prior to my run.  These races are a very different challenge as they test you both physically and mentally.

Nathan's final leg is 4.7 miles and rated moderate.  Leg 26 is a straight shot down Dynamite Rd.  It has a fairly steep incline gaining 494 feet over the 4.7 miles.  It will be challenging especially being the last leg after very little sleep.  I think that Nathan will persevere as he had to run hills all over New England during his cross country meets.  His only challenge will be whether or not he can get enough rest to recharge his batteries.  I told him it is really not about how fast he runs each leg but that he finishes each with a smile on his face.  I know that when he hands off for the final time, he will have a deep sense of accomplishment which is why I love these races.

I have 2 weeks of hard training before I back it off a little the week before the race.  I am really looking forward to this one since I get to share the experience with my son.  I believe that sharing my passion for running with others is the best thing about these races.  Because if you run with friends, then you know that time together is a time of sharing. You will find that your teammates becomes your network of running friends.  It is these friends who become your training partners that will guide you, lift you up, and support you when you need it most.  And more importantly share a lot of laughs with you along the way.  What more could you ask for?

Jan. 11 – 5.20 miles (47:41, 9:10 pace)
Jan. 12 – 6.20 miles (56:55, 9:11 pace)
Jan. 14 – 6.80 miles (1:09:50, 10:16 pace)
Jan. 15 – 6.20 miles (1:04:11, 10:21 pace)
Jan. 16 – 8.50 miles (1:25:13, 10:02 pace)
Jan. 17 – 10.10 miles (1:29:07, 8:49 pace)
Jan. 18 – 6.70 miles (1:07:10, 10:01 pace)
Jan. 19 – 5.70 miles (1:00:11, 10:33 pace)
Jan. 22 – 6.90 miles (1:08:52, 9:59 pace)
Jan. 23 – 9.10 miles (1:20:33, 8:51 pace)
Jan. 24 – 9.70 miles (1:35:32, 9:51 pace)
Jan. 25 – 6.10 miles (1:02:02, 10:10 pace)
Jan. 26 – 6.90 miles (1:07:02, 9:43 pace)
Jan. 28 – 5.10 miles (44:32, 8:44 pace)
Jan. 29 – 4.30 miles (38:00, 8:50 pace)
Jan. 30 – 6.40 miles (1:00:37, 9:28 pace)
Jan. 31 – 8.70 miles (1:24:54, 9:46 pace)

Total Miles:  118.6 miles
2016 Total Miles:  162.5 miles

The Heart of A Runner

For those of you who have been reading my musings since the beginning, you know that I am an alumnus of TCU.   My daughter Mara is a senior there this year and will be graduating in May.  I have to admit that I am very proud to have another Frog in the family.  Last weekend, we travelled to San Antonio to watch our Horned Frogs play in the Alamo Bowl against Oregon.  What we never expected was what is now one of the biggest comebacks in bowl history and our team being the winner.  "Gary Patterson’s squad produced the most memorable win of this bowl season by regrouping at halftime and refusing to give up.”  What a great memory to cherish because I got to share it with my daughter Mara.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with running.  Easy.  What the team showed on the field last Saturday night was heart.  They could have folded after being down 31-0 at half time.  Instead, they dug deep and found a way to win.  As Vince Lombardi famously said,  “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”   As I was finishing my long run today and thinking about what I wanted to write this week that quote popped into my head.  I realized that the true measure of heart is the willingness to keep going and trying even after you have been beaten or performed below your expectations.

As I look back on my years of running and all the races I have run, there have been numerous days where I came up seriously short of my goal.  I would be mad, depressed and frustrated with myself especially when I had trained so hard.  But I would get up the next morning, lace up my shoes and start again.  I would remind myself that a 12 minute mile is the same distance as a 6 minute mile.  Regardless of the outcome of the race, I had participated and done the best I could on that given day.  As John "The Penguin" Bingham said, "“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”  Like the Horned Frogs on Saturday, I kept trying to improve and find a way to achieve my running goals.

When I had finally built up my running ability to run a marathon, I decided that the ultimate goal would be to break 4 hours at that distance.  In my first marathon, I just wanted to finish.  But once I knew I could run the distance, I really wanted to break that magic mark.  After four more attempts, I was no closer.  In fact, my fifth attempt was my worst time finishing dangerously close to 5 hours.  I could easily have just quit trying.  Instead I looked for a better training regimen and tried again.  Finally running for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute team in Boston, I did it.  There are no words to describe the feeling of accomplishment I felt that day.  My heart was full.

The definition of heart is the willingness to keep competing even when the odds are stacked against you.  Having the courage to try in the first place shows heart.  The truth is that our toughest competitor is our self and those nagging doubts in our head.  The key is learning to listen to your hear rather than your head.  I have learned to accept all of my shortcomings and to fully understand my limitations.   My motivation comes straight from my heart and my love of the sport of running.  This love allows me to conquer the distance.  I now realize that my internal nature evolves from training my mind and body to be wholly present when I am out there on the road.  I stick to my daily routine and believe in my training.  The discipline I show each day comes from an internal focus where my competitor's heart resides.

I believe that our heart as runners propels us to run that next mile no matter how bad we are feeling.  I ran the last 10 miles of the 2014 Boston Marathon with a bad hamstring.  I did it because I was running for a higher cause.  My motivation was to honor those people who so generously donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.   I also knew that the pain I was experiencing was nothing compared to those fighting the disease.  Heart is what allowed me to stay out there on the course despite excruciating pain.  Heart is always about love and that is what should motivate us to keep at it.  Our mutual love of the sport will help us reach the finish line.  If we fall short of the goal that day, our heart will help to pick us up and allow each of us to lace up our shoes and get out there again.

Watching the Horned Frogs show such heart and dedication to the team made me feel so proud to be a Horned Frog.  You could feel the love of their teammates. It reminded me that I too am fighting for what I love.  Running allows me to stay healthy.  Being in shape and healthy allows me to have more time to spend with those in my life who I truly love.  The Horned Frogs showed real sportsmanship and competed at a level far beyond their ability on Saturday.  That is the definition of heart. In the end, heart is the ability to accept failure and to grow from it and to try again.

Jan. 1 – 4.10 miles (35:55, 8:46 pace)
Jan. 2 – 3.20 miles (28:36, 8:56 pace)
Jan. 4 – 6.10 miles (55:42, 9:08 pace) - San Antonio, TX
Jan. 7 – 5.10 miles (46:24, 9:06 pace)
Jan. 8 – 6.20 miles (1:02:17, 10:03 pace) - Hill Repeats
Jan. 9 – 10.10 miles (1:27:48, 8:42 pace)
Jan. 10 – 9.10 miles (1:35:16, 10:28 pace)

Total Miles:  43.9 miles
2016 Total Miles:  43.9 miles

Try Something New

Another year has passed.  Every year seems to pass by quicker and quicker.  I am not sure why this is happening.  Each day it seems as if there is never enough time for me to get everything done despite my best laid plans.  I have read that the best answer for this phenomenon is that the early years of your life are filled with first-time events.  You can always remember your first date, learning to drive, the birth of your first child, your first job, etc.  First times are novel and we tend to make more detailed and lasting memories of  the event.  As time passes, repetitive events fail to make such a lasting impression.  Rather than accept this as a truism, I have chosen over the past several years to try new things and continually challenge my status quo.

The one thing that really helps me try new things is running.  Running started off as just another form of exercise I did to try and stay healthy, reduce my weight and stay in shape.  As the years passed, it became more than just exercise.  It has become a part of who I am.  I found that I loved running on cold, wet, dark wintry mornings while living in New England.  I have even learned to enjoy running when it is in the low 90s here in my desert home.  It has also allowed me to discover a new and healthy  competitive spirit.  Most importantly, running has helped me to hold back middle-age (at least in my mind).

There were also unexpected things that came from running.  I have found a widespread group of friends who like me enjoy running in the countryside around the U.S.  They also share the feeling of accomplishment when completing a training run in the rain and splashing through puddles as we go.  I love reading about my friends achievements in their Facebook posts.  And I also am so proud to have instilled the love of this sport in both of my children.  They may not be as obsessed as their father but they don't mind going out for a run with the old man once in a while.

Over the years I have become a distance runner.  I didn't start out that way.  I started off by just running 1 mile per day 3 times a week.  As that became easier, I decided to run 2 miles 3 times a week.  When I moved to Florida in 1988, I kept pushing myself and finally signed up for my first race.  It was a 5K Jingle Bell Jog.  What I didn't realize is the benefit I would receive by summoning up the courage to fill out that race form.  The greatest benefit I received was the continual search for ways on which to improve my running.  I know I couldn't have imagined after running that first 5K that I would be able to complete 8 marathons after my first in 2000 at the age of 39.

What running has taught me about myself is that I don't want to live my life without continually seeking out new things.  While I enjoy the familiarity that comes with consistency in my training, the competitive side of me knows that the enjoyment is short lived.  Without continual improvements or new challenges, my running will be stagnant and unfulfilling.  The constant self-challenges I take on keeps me humble.  It also helps to open my mind and soul to new ideas that almost consistently are better than the ones I tend to cling to from my past.

Whenever I sign up for a race I haven't run before, I find that the unknown is both exhilarating and terrifying.  As I have aged, I actually find these new adventures to be fun.  All new situations and experiences help me to grow as a person.  The new "firsts" I am experiencing as I get older are now memories that have the same vividness as those from my childhood.  They are truly long lasting memories that I cherish.  Because of this, I will continue to try new things and continue my running adventures. I am certain that my desire to try new things will ultimately result in significant self-improvement.

Join me this year by moving out of your comfort zone.

"You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." - Brian Tracy, Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author & Success Expert

If you are reading this, I hope that you will go out and try something new!  Don't let doubt or fear of the unknown stand in your way.  The real fun starts at then of your comfort zone.  Now get out there and see what adventures you can find on the other side of that starting line.

Nov. 16 – 5.10 miles (45:13, 8:52 pace)
Nov. 17 – 6.10 miles (56:11, 9:13 pace)
Nov. 18 – 6.10 miles (57:45, 9:28 pace)
Nov. 19 – 5.10 miles (53:41, 10:31 pace) - Hill Repeats
Nov. 20 – 9.20 miles (1:20:05, 8:42 pace)
Nov. 22 – 7.10 miles (1:07:43, 9:32 pace)
Nov. 23 – 5.10 miles (47:15, 9:16 pace)
Nov. 24 – 6.20 miles (57:12, 9:14 pace)
Nov. 26 – 6.20 miles (58:42, 9:28 pace)
Nov. 27 – 6.20 miles (1:03:02, 10:10 pace) - Hill Repeats
Nov. 28 – 8.10 miles (1:12:03, 8:54 pace)
Nov. 29 – 6.50 miles (01:01:51, 9:31 pace)
Nov. 30 – 3.20 miles (28:39, 8:57 pace) (80.2 miles in Nov)
Dec. 1 – 6.20 miles (57:05, 9:12 pace)
Dec. 3 – 6.20 miles (58:39, 9:28 pace)
Dec. 4 – 6.20 miles (1:04:51, 10:28 pace) - Hill Repeats
Dec. 5 – 10.20 miles (1:34:53, 9:18 pace)
Dec. 6 – 4.10 miles (37:12, 9:05 pace)
Dec. 10 – 6.20 miles (58:44, 9:28 pace)
Dec. 12 – 8.20 miles (1:13:55, 9:01 pace)
Dec. 13 – 8.10 miles (1:16:02, 9:23 pace)
Dec. 14 – 4.10 miles (36:58, 9:01 pace)
Dec. 17 – 5.50 miles (48:35, 8:50 pace)
Dec. 18 – 6.20 miles (58:46, 9:29 pace)
Dec. 19 – 9.20 miles (1:22:08, 8:56 pace)
Dec. 20 – 7.20 miles (1:08:23, 9:30 pace)
Dec. 21 – 6.20 miles (55:09, 8:54 pace)
Dec. 22 – 6.20 miles (57:06, 9:13 pace)
Dec. 24 – 6.20 miles (53:36, 8:39 pace)
Dec. 25 – 6.20 miles (1:03:26, 10:14 pace) - Hill Repeats
Dec. 26 – 8.20 miles (1:16:25, 9:19 pace)
Dec. 27 – 8.20 miles (1:16:43, 9:21 pace)  (128.80 miles in Dec)
Dec. 28 – 6.20 miles (55:37, 8:58 pace)
Dec. 29 – 6.20 miles (56:55, 9:11 pace)
Dec. 31 – 6.20 miles (58:45, 9:29 pace)

Total Miles:  227.60 miles
2015 Total Miles:  1,916.8 miles