One post I may regret, but not my MY RACES!

A race to pick out of my 3, I cannot decide which is the best. So much was done before and during each. I had waited 3 years before being able to do what I had planned for so long to do, well actually longer. To now where my trust had and has been greatly degraded. To make it short this is no longer a country of innacent untill proven guilty. I can though say it has helped me to grow to to become strong in the mind and will. We came close to splitting apart and losing everything and being told wanting to go from my job to my now current. Why do you think they would hire you?? You don't know anything about that job. But I knew I did my own investigation and made the public servants look like fools. Yes it was beautful!! And proved myself from that came my strong mind and will I saved all change and money and in 6 months got a laptop and applied to every job I would have been even 10% qualified for. 9 months later I had that job that I was told why would they hire you.
I had then been able to train then not for a ironman triathlon as I wanted for a first race. High goals huh. But a marathon, I trained in town and had been told that I was just running to show off. That had been the thing that helped me also pick my race. Searching I found a 50 mile ultra and signed up thinking how much more difficult could it be. Telling the wife after sending the registration in the evil glare and the 2 questions I will never forget! Why do you want to do 1 of those when you haven't even done a marathon? Why are you setting yourself up for failure? All I could say "Because it's there" and "I'm not". 10 months later I was lining up for my first 50 mile ultra after at least 20 years of no running. Then 6 a.m. 10/10/08 came and I was off. The wait was over and time would tell. I have had this saying from the begining. There are only 2 finish lines in a race, only one is a little more permanent! This race and the 2 times I've done it had 2 different inspirations and 2 different challanges. Last year there was a 77 year old that did the 100 miler but dropped to the 50 miler and finished 12:59. Then this year an amputee not only finished the 100 but won the womens race in 18:54. Last year and this it is not the miles or the body that would want to make you quit but your mind, but for me that is never the option. Last year it was 80 degrees an this was 35, with nothing but the flinthills there is no cover from the elements. 2008and 09 year were the best feeling to have to cross that line because some one told me I could not and that it was stupid! My 100K was inspiring also and although I never got to finish that one I did make 52 of the 62.7 because of tornado's. It was a rough run and still strong when they caught us coming out of the bottom. I have no regrets on any of the runs or part of them. I did what I could and finished! Now with one goal left and one of 2 reasons to complete. Now firing it up break is over.


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A very good day Nov, 30th!!

I just have not been able to run this whole time except for 2 days a total of about 12 miles. From injury of the last 2 races of an achilles an hamstring from correcting for it. I've had to SWIM I hate swimming and have had to count the days and resist the temptation to go and to just heal. Especially since I look like a fish flopping around in the water. Though the steamroom is worth the embarassment.

The last day of November I got to run with wifes get out and go run an mostly the left leg saying yes give it a try. The turkey day holiday weekend was not good for us. Well up untill Saterday where it went downhill where the alternater and battery bit the dust and working the part-time job. Then getting home and sleeping though a family Christmas party get togather where I never made it there.

Now really trying to get out to run after Monday and Thurs, 2 basketball games and a late nite I only had time for the yoga class at the Y on Wednesday with a 1000 meters in the pool. Friday I need to get out but for some reason I think it's going to be a day. If anything I'll try to sneak in a swim if I have to.

Well the daughter got popped in the nose and bloody and they won both there b-ball games this week, I'd say a fair trade off.

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After the race

Almost 2 months from the race and only 11 or maybe 12 miles run. It's not that I didn't want to get out there, it was the hamstring, nerve and the achilles that was good till the second mile of both of those runs. I've had to go to the Y and swim which I hate to do. I do not like swimming, but I have to do something. I've got at least a quater of a mile M-W and TH-F a little over 1/2 mile. Then to the yoga class on Wed or Thurs for an hour. That is a workout itself just streching.

My significant other expressed the question of isn't that for wemen and or gay guys? Well I said no and hey if it's going to give me an extra at least 20 minutes I will take it and do it. There have been at least 3 other men in there to that I know or have found that are married and with kids. But I know she still isn't convinced!!

But I though will still tell runners to try it. Because for me it works by just doing it for 25 minutes 5 days of the week and being able to finish the ultra when it was so in question. This is usually my down time anyway just not this much. Last year I still ran least a bit.


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Heartland 50 mile ultra race report

The race report, just a little late but here it is. The friday before the race was looking pretty good , but such was not the case at the begining of the week. They were saying rain and 37 to 40 degree's. That Friday it was 50 and sunny after a week of clouds and cold. The prerace meal was awesome as always with roast, chichen in cream sauce, a slaw H/M bread and potato's with a desert you cannot resist.


That was Friday and Saterday was another very different story. As 99% were already asleep I had been awake till 12:30am and finally asleep about 1:00.
Weather had said it was really going to be 50 and partly sunny that looked as if it was going to come true at daybreak, but it was going to be a far different story in an hour and what a difference it makes.





Then it was all to change the wind gradully picked up an the clouds rolled in like a fog and the temps dropped. It had been the coldest run I started at 37 deg that never got warmer. I had the shoes running shorts 3 tech shirts, a Nike zipper v-neck pullover with my never forgoten amber sunglasses. If I only would have remembered my hat!! Because as you see there's no wind break or tree.


It was all good up in through the first 8 miles to the first aide station (Battlecreek) where I think quite a few of the other runners wished I would have shut up along the way. There is always people from all over and very few from just Kansas. For me that's the fun of this run. You get to see so many inspiring things in this race last year a 77 yr old man and this an amputee in the womens race. I kept up with her for a half mile, as I had to tone it back. Both were in the 100 and finished under the 30 hr time. But from that point on here come the hills. They are not the mountains but the idea of going back though those after 35
miles is a real thought. As we made our way through I think the worse part of the course I believe it dipped in temp.








Getting to the next aide station was even cooler (Lapland) a straight in you face or left side wind driven. No time to really stop a couple cups of soda and quick fill of the pack an I was off. The volenteers are great I just want to say!


That I thought was rough coming into that with the cold north wind. Though I forgot or was as I should of was not thinking of the last 9 to the turn around. Probably some of the most open part of the 50 mile course. I made it to through that last 9 miles to the halfway turnaround and just could not decide what I wanted to eat no one had any rock salt so I had a PBJ and a couple cookies. There also it was my fault but I tried to tell them that orange drop bag could go back but it never made it, or the other at Lapland. You ask why, because I'm an idiot that didn't put his number on his bags. I headed on the way back and I just had a 4 hr and 15 minute 25 miles which was not good. The wind was at the back and like last year I was on my own for the next half. I knew I still was in good a good place but didn't know how far back though but I thought I could catch possibly one or two I didn't know how far ahead they were. It was a long cold and lonly run to catch someone I could never see.












I made it back though Lapland and a quick soda, cookie brownies and a half fill of the camelback I was feeling good and blew through battlecreek. I had 2 hot on my tail and I am not letting the get me. I ran though to the next unmanned aide an called that I was coming in. I got to battlecreek / 150th made a time an distance check which was not good and I so wanted to walk and I knew at the end of the road was the last corner. I have been able to see the watertower at the finish for the longest time. I made the corner and it's amazing the feeling to see the finish line and the sprint you can actually pull off.









It is not the time I had hoped for, with no PR 3 minutes and 18 second shy. I take it with running with all I had on I think that was damned good. Now next year to knock off the 100 mile side of this race.

3 days till Heartland 50

Only 3 more days till I then we find out if it was enough to surpass last years time
of 9:38:20 for the 50. I got my 2 runs in for then weekend and they were only to be a
1.5 hour and a 1 hour run. But like last year I didn’t follow that either. I went ahead for the 2-10 mile runs and there’s not much difference in those either. Though my heals are very tight in the morning, I just have to be very careful in getting going. I don’t know what the deal is with that.

Thursday was an off day for my daughters volleyball game, which they lost they get a great lead and then they blow it by getting to confident. You can always tell when it’s going to happen they get that smile on there face and it’s over.

Friday was a 9 and Saturday was 10 and 10 for Sunday because I don’t think a extra 30 minutes is going to kill me. The wife can’t get that lucky!! Got some hot tub action for the Achilles and left leg and no I’d rather do Badwater before that. That I thought helped. But the heels were stiffer Sunday.

For the race I have a pair of everyday shoes (Asics) and 2 pair of (Asics) w/1700 and 800 miles on them and a pair of adidias with 800 also. Hmmm which one to pick to run in for the race. Planned on a new pair but not going to happen with a story about that, that is to long. Paranoia don’t know but there’s different aches this year and something is just not right. Though after 13 miles of the race I will have achieved one of the goals to break 2000 miles for the year.