Run for the Ranch - Race Report

About two weeks ago, I signed up for the Run For the Ranch Marathon in Springfield, Missouri.  In the previous two months, I ran lots of miles and ran nearly every day, but my two longest individual runs were 16 miles and 20 miles.  All other runs, including every run in the five weeks before the race, were less than half-marathon distance.  In many regards, I was unprepared, but that allowed me to relax.  After all, I had a built-in excuse if things went poorly. .........

Running is Not Enough

Sadly, I have fallen behind on writing my blog.  I can safely say that I have missed at least three entries. ..........

Running When Sick …

Running When Sick … Wise or Unhealthy?

Disclaimer: Below are my thoughts only and by no means should be perceived as advice on whether or not any reader of this blog should follow the same course while sick.  I suggest you consult a professional opinion. ..........

Thanksgiving and Reflection

I have found that this time of year encourages one to reflect.  The Thanksgiving holiday is a great opportunity to get together with family and share one another’s company while also talking about events of the past year. ..............

LHF Race Recap

This Saturday was the Living History Farms Off-Road Race.  I discussed the history, magnitude, and difficulty of the race in a previous entry.  Since the end of the girls cross country season, I have spent three weeks preparing for this race.  I’ve done more hill runs, runs on single-track trails, and more speed work.  I also made some changes to my race plan from a year ago............

Progressive Running

Progressive running is a new concept that I picked up about a year ago.  Progressive can mean promoting a change or innovation.  It can also mean increasing in severity.  For me, progressive running meant both.  Specifically, it is starting slow and building up faster and faster over the course of a single run.  This was a welcomed diversion from doing a tempo run consisting of a warm-up, a sustained hard effort, and a cool-down.  So, progressive running was not only an increasingly more difficult workout but also an innovative approach to workouts. ..............

Streaking ... Is it Worth it?

This past Thursday I faced a dilemma.  I had some free time on a planned recovery day.  Quite honestly, I was bored.  And when guys get bored, they generally do something stupid.  So I considered whether or not streaking was for me. ………….

Crash Course for LHF

So, with the big 50-mile race now 2 weeks behind me, I feel safe to say I am fully recovered.  Whether that is true or not, I quit caring when I realized I was down to just three weeks to get ready for the Living History Farms (LHF) Off-Road Race. ...........

Parting Thoughts on October

October was a climatic month.  Yet it is a month that is very hard to put in the books.  Many goals were fulfilled and two others were just missed. ............

Long Hours and a Return to Running

This past week has been quite exciting, yet very busy for me.  Following the 50-mile race was the 7-hour drive home and the inability to fall asleep.  Apparently endorphin overload and the runner’s high works as an incredible sleep deterrent.  So, I was up until 1:30 AM.  The following night, I was still wired and was awake until 1:00 AM. ..........

50-mile Ultra-marathon Race Recap

This entry describes my 50-mile Ultra-Marathon ran October 22, 2011 on the Des Plaines Trail in NE Illinois.  This is a long blog entry, but remember 50 miles is a long race!  You will need 10+ minutes to read it. ............

A Day to Shine ... A Night to Forget

Today was a day to remember for the girls cross country team I coach as an assistant.  Just over three weeks ago, they ran a meet at the same site and against the same competition as today.  That day, they were fourth by 2.  Today, they took third by a decisive 39 points and were just 10 points from second.  With the top 3 finish, Ames High has earned a return to the state cross country meet! ........

Pacing @ Des Moines Half-Marathon

Today, I gave back to the running world by volunteering to lead a pace team at the Des Moines Half-Marathon.  My task called for me to run a 90-minute half-marathon (6:52/mi pace), while controlling the pace, planning for gatorade/GU stops, recruiting/cheering/encouraging runners, all while carrying a 4-foot sign.  My wife, who has become pretty familiar with my training, asked about today's difficulty and guessed a rank of 4 out of 10 (which was pretty accurate).  My response, however, was that the biggest challenge today would be holding up the sign. ........

Welcome & Background

Thanks for checking out my running journal.  I have decided to create this site for many reasons.

Personally, I have found myself wanting to create an archive of my adventures so that I can share stories with my kids someday.  And when I get really old, these records will help me recall my youthful days.  Additionally, since ending Lincoln's Logs on caringbridge, the desire to write entertaining updates has smoldered but was never completely doused.  Further, I often find myself sharing running snippets from my life on facebook, but felt that I was boasting to a crowd that doesn't at all understand what an intense fartlek session entails for example. .........