Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135

Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135 - just watched it.

I am left with the feeling that there is a whole bunch of crazies out there.

"Don't you ever think of doing that one", says Jess.

"Not me, never" says I.

There was however this little piece of me though that thought.......... well, let's just not go there.

There were people 20 years older than me who finished the race, and maybe if I could follow a can of Murphy's Irish Stout tied to a van, then who knows? One day. Maybe

I just went there didn't I.

Back home - time to train

After a couple of weeks on the road, it is time to get back into the swing of things. I never feel like I trained enough when I travel, and this time, I know for a fact I didn't.

I know that WIlbur and Sarah missed their running buddy, and we all have some cobwebs, so it is time to start logging some miles. I would like to do over 25 miles this weekend. We'll see.

On the road again

I am travelling this week for work, out in the Northwest. Took this picture with my phone, somewhere just west of the ID/OR border on I-84.

Motivational Stuff

Youtube is a wonderful medium. If I feel that I need some motivation to get out and do a long run, despite grotty weather, or too hot or whatever excuse comes to mind. I find a good way to inspire me to get off the couch is to start surfing some of the youtube videos. Here is one I recently stumbled across. It features Ultramarathoner/Navy Seal David Coggins on a 15o mile Ultra.

As I find more, I'll post them - plus I will post some of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrlmLvPFdg8

Gold in Umstead?

I took this picture with my phone when I left work earlier. Now then, this picture is looking north. I work 2 miles as the crow flies south of Umstead. By my reckoning, there is now some gold in a pot somewhere in the middle of Reedy Creek Lake.

Running at night

My wife bought me one of these headlamps for my birthday last month. For some reason, I have been a little nervous about going out on a night time run and christening my new toy - I mean it's not as if we live in a heavy traffic area. She also bought Wilbur and Sarah a little flashing LED's to go on their collars :) - red one for Wilbur, white one for Sarah. We decided to give our new toys a whirl tonight.

So, anyway, complete with headlamp, reflective vest, and flashing LED's, off we went for a 5K run. It is quite weird running in the dark, just you and the 20 feet you can see. I enjoyed it, and it was kind of invigorating, and now that I have broke the seal so to speak, I'll be night running more often.

I need to think of a better way to fit the pups' LED's to their collar though, they both fell off. Fortunately, flashing lights weren't too difficult to find on my way back.

What is this all about then?

I started running about 4 or 5 years ago, after I decided to get healthy. A couple of years previously, I had quit smoking ("phase 1"), so now it was time to get "phase 2" underway, which was to start exercising.

In March 2005, I did my first organized run, which was the Asics Reading Half Marathon in Reading England. Wow, I was hooked.

A few half marathons, 10K's, 5K's later, I competed my first full marathon in March 2007 (Shamrock in Virginia Beach), and later the same year, I did the inaugural City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh NC. I have done one other marathon - the OBX (Outer Banks NC) in November 2008. My marathon times have ranged between 4:26 and 5:22.

Over these 4 years, I have lost about 35-40lbs, and in the last 18 months, ("phase 3" was get a physical) got my blood pressure into normal range, and dropped my total cholesterol from 238 (high) to 154 (optimal) without medication.

Early in 2008, I stumbled upon Dean Karnazes' first book, Ultramarathon Man, Confessions of an all Night Runner. I was enthralled with Dean's description of his first 100 mile run, the Western States 100. "I would love to try one of those", I thought. Idiot.

I discovered there is a 100 mile race fairly close to home, the Umstead 100. Fortunately, the good folks at the North Carolina Ultra Running Association won't let me enter the 100 mile race, without having done at least a 50 miler before. So I entered the 50. Idiot.

So, I have a lot of running, training, and learning to do before April 4th. Here is where you can follow my journey leading up to the Umstead 50 and beyond (hopefully not TO the beyond).

In short, what started off as a way to get fit, has turned into a fully fledged mid-life crisis - however, one that is cheaper than a Porsche or Harley, and easier to manage than a 'fling' ;-).