Thanksgiving with Courage

This city, Colorado Springs, is my city! It is great to be back! Coming home is always an amazing feeling, and with each mile closer, the mountains grow larger. A sense of comfort comes over me, a sense of strength, as Pikes Peak is my Ebenezer. I have seen many friends, done so much, and ran many miles already this week, and it is only Thanksgiving! With this special day, I think of some of the people who have helped form me into the man I am today. Philippians 1:3 says, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” It has been such a long road to get to where I am now. So much hard work, so many dreams, and none of it would be possible without my faith that is reaffirmed by my amazing friends and family.

Last Saturday I won the Frosty 5K in Salina, so I decided to sit out the Briargate Turkey Trot today and just supported friends. Watching the race with Jenny Simpson I really enjoyed seeing Adam Rich, Kevin Morgan, Gerald Romero, and Shannon Payne all run well. Now, as a coach I am constantly watching races and not racing in them. Looking from the outside is so much different. The fans who have never run do not understand the courage necessary to push when everything in your body says to slow down. Giving all you have is not easy, and there is always self doubt. Anyone can stand on the side and cheer, but it takes true courage to race. Running has always been a metaphor for me and my life. As I watched the race go by today, I was having fun, but it is not the same as racing. With life, it is easy to sit on the side, cheer on others as they do what we may think is hard, or even impossible, but what is true is those who race are those who are not scared. Races and life rarely go how we plan, and fate rarely calls on us at a time of our choosing, but it is our courage to act, to live, and to conquer that makes us truly alive.

So, for those of you who are looking for motivation, or that perfect moment, STOP! It most likely already passed. Wake up and do something before you are so far behind that all you can do is look back and wonder. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua1:9 That moment you are waiting for is NOW! Step out of your comfort zone, and live your life with courage because the Lord is with you Wherever you go. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Missing Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the NAIA cross country National Championship. I have raced it, coached it, and lived it. As the night grows short and morning approaches, I can’t help but think of the race and of the runners who I coached that will be there without me. I want to call each one of them up and tell them how much I miss them and how well I know they will do, but they are no longer my team. I am at Kansas Wesleyan, calling my future runners, letting them know that I know the way to Nationals, and that I plan to be there next year. I know my runners here gave everything they had this season, and I am very proud to be their coach while also being ready for the future. So, good luck to Justin Hill, Chris Scheideman, Cory Clark, Aaron Caldwell, Taylor Nall, Eric Larson, Vince Tadokoro, Ashley McBride, and Lauren Jaqua! Run smart, run fast, and trust your training. Also best of luck to Lauren Jimison. After watching her win in Indiana last May, I know she will win tomorrow and do so in a way that would glorify God. Good night and Good Luck! I will be praying for all of you.

Drafting

Throughout my college career, I was known as a "kicker." At regular season meets, I would pull my weight, but when a championship was on the line I would do what it took to win or qualify. Post college I have raced in many road races and triathlons, and several times I have worked with other athletes fighting the wind. However, today my "kick" was not enough to win after experiencing something I had thankfully never experienced before and hope to never again.
This morning I raced a half marathon on the hilly windy course at Shawnee Mission Park. From the start, a young man went immediately to my hip pocket, letting me fight the wind. After a few miles, I began asking him to help out as the head wind was beginning to burdon me. When he refused, I threw in a few accelerations to break him, but with no avail. At mile six, I said forget this and jogged a 6:42 mile. He still refused to pass. I asked him if money was on the line, but I already knew the answer was, "No." During miles 7-10, I ran four straight miles at 5:38 with him still behind me. Besides drafting, he was repeatedly stepping on my heels. At mile 10.5, I slowed in frustration, and he flew by with the tail wind. In anger I yelled the nickname Pre would have used from Without Limits for someone who would not run courageously.
At the finish he ended up beating me by nearly a minute as he jumped around like a super bowl champion. With the encouragement of a great friend Justin Hill, I had battled back and still ran 1:17.22. However, at the line I nearly lost it as he tried to congratulate me. There were unpleasantries exchanged, but having Justin there kept me from losing it. I refuse to acknowledge a victory that is not earned.
I am excited with how I did in the wind and hills in spite of getting stepped on. I was also very happy to see Kari Wagoner finish her first half marathon on a stress fracture. Seeing someone race a half on a stress fracture shows true courage and exemplifies what fun half marathons should be about as you push your own limits. The race director Ben Holmes put on a great race that was well organized and marked, on an absolutely beautiful course. He even apologized to me for the experience that I had with the other runner throughout the race.
So, to all my fellow runners out there, never sacrifice ethics to win. Give everything you have while having fun and stay off your competitors heels. While Pre has a name for runners like I faced today, I simply would advise you to "Race with class."

Monday

Today was a typical Monday. I was getting a lot accomplished when I decided to check out what was new on the usatriathlon web page. I was surprised to see myself pictured with the lead pack at mile 2 of the USA Duathlon National Championships last Spring in Tucson AZ. I am still far from famous but its a great way to start the week for me. Hope all is well and to race again soon. Here is the link to the page and picture.

http://www.usatriathlon.org/membership-services/membership-home.aspx
Pictured in my sweet TYR Kit and Pink Oakleys provided by Kompetitive Edge and the T6 racers by Brooks. Thanks

Prairie Fire Half Marathon

I love to write about great days, fun times, and of course winning. However, today was one of those days that I pursued my passion and love of running without getting anything in return, except the satisfaction of running.

A week ago I wrote about how I was considering one of two half marathons or possibly both. Little did I know that less than two days later I would come down with a miserable cold. With a runny nose, sinus headaches, and aching from Tuesday through Friday, I had considered not running. Saturday I was feeling better, still with a runny nose but I could handle it. I decided I had nothing to lose, so I drove down to Wichita on Saturday evening and raced Sunday morning.

Starting my warm up, I ran into Kimberly, a friend from college who is very into training and personal fitness. We warmed up together and had a lot of fun catching up. When the gun went off, I found myself feeling relaxed and enjoying the cold temperatures in the rain. This lasted for 5 miles at sub 5:30 pace. Unfortunately, a little past the 5 mile mark, I began having hard times breathing. Severe congestion in my throat was causing me to gag, and I quickly received a side stitch. Right then, I knew I was in trouble. I tried to fight the pain but was quickly caught and lost my lead of the race. I managed a couple more miles before the stitch got bad enough I felt like walking, and a port-a-potty was looking really good. I ended up stopping twice to use the bathroom. Finally at mile 10 I knew any chances of winning or placing in the top 3 were out the window, so I began to just cruise for fun. Cold, wet, and running may sound miserable to most, but I found it to be okay. Feeling pain somehow is very relaxing to me. It is a reassurance that I am alive, that I am pushing my limits. Sometimes it’s not how fast we run, but what we get out of it. My final time was 1:20.55, ten minutes off of a personal best, but I survived and got in a good long run. Catching up with friends, eating at Buffalo Wild Wings with Kimberly after the race and having a few laughs is exactly what I needed to forget the race and make sure I remember what is important. I love to run, I love to run for Christ, and I love to be with friends.

Great job today Tim Testa in the 5K, and to Kimberly, Rob, and Dawn in the ½ marathon, and way to go Ashley in the Marathon! Also, I want to say thanks to my amazing parents and brother who always do such a great job of supporting me in my insanity.


Post race with Kimmie.. Ill open my eyes next time.

One or Both

With two very big half marathons approaching, I am debating which one to race. While they both offer prize money, they also both have pros and cons. The Prairie Fire Half is a relatively fast course but is the day after traveling to Hays to coach, and my legs will not be as rested as I would like. The Kansas City Half would allow for rested legs, but unfortunately falls on a hilly course. To help me decide, I hopped in an 8K in Baldwin City last week the day after running 13 miles and felt relatively strong. I finished the hilly course in 27:04 but paid for the 5-flat first mile in mile 5. Last week's 8K also gave me a second race without swimming or cycling first which I hope will remind my legs of what it's like to race without the other two disciplines. I hope to decide by Tuesday! Both races have offered me free entry fees, so there is a chance I might just run them both and see what happens. Either way I am racing to glorify God while having some fun. Training is going well for my 2012 triathlon season. I am spending plenty of time at the pool and fighting to still put in the miles on the bike. Thanks for the support and kind words. The good luck texts and congratulatory emails really help me push through workouts while training by myself.



On a side note, I am very excited to receive my Pure Project Cadence before their official release on Saturday. The Brooks representative will be at Salina Running Company for their release Saturday afternoon; so, I hope to see a big turn out!

Settling into Salina

Just short of 1 month in Salina, and I am feeling at home. For those of you who don’t know, I inherited a program with very few runners, and by very few I mean 3. Those three runners, I had to negotiate and recruit in the first few days of being hired just to come run for me. The previous coach knew he was leaving and did not recruit. He also told his runners he was leaving back in May while not telling the university till July. The few returners decided to transfer or give up running. While the 3 that I have are fantastic kids, I am working very hard on the recruiting trail, hitting up meets and spending 10-14 hour days in the office. This is a challenge that most would not enjoy, but I am looking forward to building a program with my principles and goals at the core. I have now found some great friends here in town to hang out with, and after a few tries I have found a church that feels like home. At Kansas Wesleyan I feel that I have found a school that supports me. The head soccer coach has even agreed to work with me by giving me his top runners to make sure I have a full team at conference. This may seem like no big deal, but these are 8 starters who are willing to run for me while still doing soccer. I must say I am excited and ecstatic for next year when I can bring in my own recruits.
Today marked the start of my fall road racing season. I had first heard about this race a little over a week ago at my first trip to First Covenant Church, then after working a few days this week at Salina Running Company, I decided it would be a good workout and test.
While warming up, I noticed Daniel, a fellow runner, who had beaten me in Wichita two years ago. With him there, I knew the pace would be honest and with a very hilly course around Indian Rock, I also knew that it was a race that I had to go out under control while staying close to Daniel. He and I ran side by side for just short of 3 miles. Luckily when we cleared the last hill, I could see the finish and was able to shift gears and put a small gap between us. Two of my athletes got up early to come cheer me on, so as I finished I couldn’t help but think of what I say to them and focused on good form finishing the 5K in 16:19 winning by 2 seconds. While 16:19 is far from an impressive time, I am very pleased. Training long slow runs, long slow bike rides, and easy form drills in the pool, I am far from being my quickest. However, with more runners on a flat course I am easily under 15:30 shape which is exciting for me. Another month of training throwing in a few quicker workouts, and I should be ready to run 2 or 3 quick half marathons this fall.
A great city, fun friends, an environment for success, and my training is going great. I truly am blessed to have such supportive friends and family and a God who has not given up on me and is doing great things in my life!
Best of luck to all of you this fall!