a healthy amount of fear can be extremely helpful and entirely necessary to accomplish some goals. after finishing my first marathon in 2003, the fear, trepidation and reverence i held for marathons completely disappeared. throughout the next 4 years i would register for a marathon or 50k and follow a running regimen highlighted by pathetically short runs and half-ass workouts. surprisingly, i consistently placed in the top 10 overall or top 3 in my age group and lost any desire to throw down big training miles. so with a simple click of my mouse and $110, i put some fear back into my life. the Bighorn 'Wild & Scenic' 50 mile Trail Run now looms just 13 weeks away.
so i've been running. and not like, 'lets grab our slick new NIKE tanks and running capris and go for a jog on the Naito Parkway or around the UM campus', but running...like suffering up enormous climbs or pounding the pavement for 2-3 hours on a chilly saturday afternoon or casually running 6-8 one mile intervals in under 6 minutes. running.
with the help of my sister and her ridiculous/impressive knowledge of the human body, i have re-embraced a classic hobby i had long forsaken. stretching. i've also developed specific nutrition regimes depending on what kind of run/workout i complete. i've curbed my frequency of late nights filled with PBR and cloves, and my body has never felt better. no duh, right?
four of the five members living in my house are actively training and preparing for races. triathalons, multi-day bike stage races, time trials, marathons, ultras, or crits. some as soon as tomorrow, some not until july. one guy is the fastest marathoner and triathlete in western MT. another is one of the 10 fastest bike racers in the PNW and consistently won college races while in school (at WWU). we've essentially decided that its pointless to enter a race unless you are gunning to win it...although this often times seems hopeless albeit a miracle, its still our goal.
so i'm training to win Bighorn. on that note, someone grab me a Bridgeport IPA
4 comments:
I think you could have trained much harder here in the Wasatch. We've missed you. My body feels worked. But great...
I admire your dedication and hope that you continue to pursue lofty goals. Go get em.
booooring.
How about a nice long run to Seattle?
Hey- I enter races just to see if I can SURVIVE. Winning is out the picture. Good luck! :o)
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