Tucson Arizona Day 1

After a very long drive, I made it into Tucson. It has been almost 23 years since I last set foot in Tucson; my parents love to remind me of what happened last time I was here. At nearly 2 years old I managed to fall onto a cactus and while my parents cleaned all the stickers off of me they did not realize that I had a lot more under my shirt. This time I hope to have better luck. Once I arrived I was so ready to get out of the car, lace up the shoes and take in the city, the weather, and the fresh air. Despite a little car sickness in Starkville, CO, I had a relatively laid back trip of resting and catching up with my parents. We took a short break on the way down at the Hard Rock Hotel in Albuquerque. Tomorrow is bike check in and I plan to check out the course while spending some time resting in the hotel. The weather right now is very warm, but luckily it appears I will be racing Saturday morning in high 60’s and low 70’s. Time to rest.

Races

USA Duathlon Nationals (5K Run, 35K Bike, 5K Run)
Tucson Arizona, April 30th 2011

Kansas Half Ironman (1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike, 13.1 Mile Run)
Lawrence Kansas, June 12th 2011

Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon (1500m Swim, 48K Bike, 10K Run)
Loveland Colorado, June 25th 2011 (My Birthday!)

Boulder Peak Triathlon (1500m Swim, 42K Bike, 10K Run)
Boulder Colorado, July 10th 2011

With the 2011 season about to start Kompetitive Edge is helping me to stand out. It appears there may be some PINK flying down the road this summer!

Hurt

Rolling my ankle today had an impact that I was not expecting. I have talked a lot about working hard, having a good attitude, and never giving up. However, what happens when everything you have planned falls apart? I had a great run planned this morning, but at the end of it, I was happy to just make it home.

Later in the day I noticed one of my athletes who seemed really down due to his injury. He looked sick because he felt that he had no control over his situation and wanted to be training so badly. Not five minutes later, a young lady came up to me with pain where her stress fracture had been. I could see the pain in both of their eyes. I gave the usual “Keep your head up, and take it one day at a time” speech.

I was asked by the young man if I ever get down? This really made me think about the face that I put on at work and with the majority of my friends. A quote I try to live by is “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” I do think it is important as a coach and as a leader that I hide some of the pain I do go through, but I also think some people need to see that I too am human.

I currently have my ankle in a bucket of ice, I am searching for where I may be coaching next year, and I have been having a difficult time as I have lost several of my friends who I once thought were my best friends. I am averaging no more than an hour of sleep at a time right now. If I have ever been down and out, this is the time. I have had two great friends working overtime recently who are trying to support me, and I am hiding my pain fairly well.

So, how do I get through the pain? What do I do when I am injured? Similar to a theme I hope you have been picking up on is that I go to God. Going back to the quote above, it is so important to ask God for his help. He is my strength, and although you may not like what you hear, it may take true courage to act upon it. I asked the young man today if he felt a door had been slammed in his face. He answered, “Yes”. I then asked him, "Have you looked for that open window?" I, too, have doors slammed in my face. I feel as though I am standing in a dorm hallway with about 20 doors all being slammed shut, but with God's help, I am looking for that open window.

So, if you are in pain, go to God. If you are injured, go to God. The answer may not come quickly, and the healing may not either, but keep going to God, and he will deliver you to your destiny.

A Perfect Run

I started off with the intent to run an easy 7 mile run today. After starting my watch I would not check it again until I arrived back at my apartment. My 7 mile route took me to the lake north or Baldwin on really muddy roads. As the miles flew by I realized I was smiling. 28degrees, no wind, and mud, I couldn't ask for a more perfect run. When the run was over I glanced down at my watch and did some math to see I had averaged 6:12 per mile for 7 miles and wasn't tired, just dirty.

Training is going GREAT! I got in right at 20 hours of training this week. Just two weeks ago I easily won a 5k in trainers, running 16:08. The best news is that Kompetitive Edge is finishing up the logistics of my contract and will be mailing it out soon so I can officially get my sponsors taken care of for 2011!

Go Run

Looking for inspiration? I hear my friends and athletes talking about it, and read about it all the time. Why am I not looking for it? How do I just get up and want to punish my body, not just once in the morning, but most days twice? The answer is that I obviously have a screw loose somewhere. Whether that’s the case or not, there needs to be a purpose to run, to bike, or to do whatever it is you have a desire to accomplish.
Let’s start there, a PURPOSE! When it comes to working out, it is much easier if you have a goal to shoot for. Personally, I start by picking a race. After I find the next BIG race to shoot for, I work back with my workouts to where I am now. It is a lot easier to work backwards than forwards because you need to know what it will take to accomplish that goal with a certain level of fitness and then work back ,doing your best to get there in a logical manner. So, find a 5k, 10k, or maybe just a fitness goal, such as running for an hour without stopping. Now that you have that set down, devise a plan of how you hope to accomplish that goal. If you need ideas on workouts or want ideas what I believe would be necessary, feel free to contact me, and I would love to see what I can do to help. Once there is a purpose, working out gets easier because you know that to achieve your goal, you need to get off your rear end and get to it!
What? You have a goal and you still are lacking motivation? Very common, especially in college runners. They know that there is a big meet or competition coming, yet they spend their runs focusing on anything but that fact. To these runners, I would say, “Why are you a part of this team? Why do you even put yourself through this if you do not care?”
It is easy to get into a rut in life, in training, in faith, or in any relationship. So, how did you change from being a highly driven athlete to someone who is debating giving it up? Most likely it is an external factor. For me, when a day comes that I don’t want to train, I look to my Faith. Yes, my Faith. I love running, but I have truly started to enjoy running now that I am running to glorify God. My belief is that God gave me this body to use, just as he gave me the Bible. When I see a Bible that is almost destroyed from being used so much, I smile, as I know that the owner of the Bible is actively learning more about God. As with the Bible, I want to use my body the same way. “Destroyed” may be the wrong word, but I want to use everything God gave me.
I have only achieved such a feeling after certain runs or races. I do not want to end up at the pearly gates and say I spent half my life in bed or on a couch playing video games. I want to say I used every bit of talent and strength possible. Genetically, I will never be able to be the very best athlete, but I intend to become the very best athlete that I can be. So, if you are looking for motivation, turn to God. Look at what he has given you, and use whatever talent you have to glorify him. If your goal is to glorify him, I believe you will find your way out of bed and into a great workout.
I have heard it many times and have seen the strength of having support from friends, teammates, family, and God. There is a good chance all of those will be there on that big day for which you are training, but on those morning workouts, the late night abs, you will most likely be chilling with God. Do not underestimate him. His strength can be your strength. Trust in him, and know he believes in you. So, good luck with whatever your goal may be. May you find inspiration in these words, but truly through the words of the Lord.

West Palm Beach Half Marathon

Florida!! The trip began by flying out Thursday night and getting in very late, I still had a very hard time sleeping despite getting in late. It was exciting to be in Florida! This Half Marathon trip worked out great for me and the team. I was able to travel to West Palm Beach with 19 of my cross country runners. Friday, we started out by volunteering at Feeding South Florida where we sorted food and other goods in an attempt to give back to the community. The afternoon was awesome as we spent it at the beach, body surfing and playing in the sand. Saturday was spent at Peanut Island in West Palm Beach where we snorkeled and swam with some really cool fish. When the team took to the beach, I took to the back seat of the van in an attempt to sleep off my late Friday night that I spent out with friends enjoying the night life of Florida.

Sunday morning came quickly, and I was able to warm up with Justin Hill and Chris Scheideman. The first mile I went out and was neck and neck with the defending champion as we rolled through 5:27 at the mile. We ran together for five miles until he did a small fartlek, trying to break me. I slowly tried to close the gap that he had made over the next four miles, but at mile eight he officially broke me. He had found a way to pull away, running negative splits, and put a good gap on me by mile 9. To be honest, I was almost glad to see him leave,as I was flat out sick of running behind that stupid convertible with a running clock attached to it. Having motorcycles on each side of me also started to get old. Little did I know, things were about to get even more annoying. The last three miles was hard mentally, as the cyclist who was leading me had her radio on as they read off the time difference every few minutes between the top three men.
The temperature was perfect and so was running along beside the ocean, as it was in the mid 50’s to low 60’s throughout the race. As I crossed the line, I was not really happy with at 1:13.44 but realized I had run a very competitive race. Considering my activities Friday night, I was very pleased.
My T6s supplied by Brooks felt great and truly helped me stay light on my feet, especially late in the race. Finishing behind me was Chris, a junior at Baker University. It was really exciting to see him finish in the top 3. Also, finishing 3rd on the women's side overall was Megan Rosa who qualified for NAIA nationals by six minutes, destroying the A standard. During post race interviews, I did my best to express just how proud I was of all the runners from Baker and gave thanks to God, leaving my name out of it.
Although I will not be in West Palm Beach to watch the television coverage, I am still really excited about the team and my efforts. This race officially closes my 2010 racing season, and I am looking forward to 2011 when I hope to set new PR’s. Thanks to everyone who supports me.