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Running and the Coronavirus

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These are difficult times we live in, this coronavirus BS has us all on lockdown, quarantine, shelter in place, or stay at home orders.  It is definitely stressful and frustrating to have our whole world upended with no end in sight, and then to be stuck in the house day after day only adds to the feeling of isolation and uncertainty.  Everyone's situation is different, some are confined to their homes, others can get out and at least walk through their neighborhoods while respecting social distancing guidelines.  We all just want a freaking break, so why not get back to running, or at least doing some form of exercise. For those fortunate enough to be able to get outdoors in their city, community, or rural setting, I would encourage you to take every opportunity to soak up the spring air and get those legs moving.  Most runners have been practicing some form of separation from others for most of our lives, that's why we like to run.  I know the highlight o...
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3 Month Update

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Even though I only started to document my journey last week, I have been officially back running for three months, and I thought it would be a good idea to fill y'all in on my progress.  Like many people, in January I made a resolution to put on the running shoes again and to lose some weight.  At the time I was up to 195lbs, which is very heavy for me, and I could run for 30 minutes before I felt like I was going to die.  I have never been a fast runner, I used to average 9 or 10 minute miles back in the day, but now I was slugging along at 12+. Despite the grueling torture with my legs feeling like they were cement blocks, it felt nice to get back out onto the road.  I only ran 3 times per week to try and avoid any injuries that normally plague me when I return to the sport; shin splints are my most common, as well as some stressed tendons in my ankles.  I am fortunate enough to live on 20 acres of land in East Texas, and have a private road that is 7/10 ...
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Aerobic Base Building

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During the spaghetti dinner the night before Ironman Florida, one of the speakers was discussing the idea of conserving strength during the race.  Her analogy used a full balloon to represent the amount of energy at the beginning of the race, with the idea to slowly release the air throughout the day until the balloon was finally deflated by the finish line.  For most distance athletes, endurance and the ability to travel longer distances while using the least amount of reserves possible is of the utmost importance.  I'm sure everyone has either experienced it or has heard of the proverbial running wall, it happened to me around mile 20 during my first marathon. So why is it that some folks can bonk after a few hours while others seem to be able to run comfortably all day.  The answer is controlled pacing with a good aerobic base.  It's as simple as that.  A fair amount of beginner runners don't train and run in the proper zone and aren't using their bodi...
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The Plan

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When I find a hobby I am interested in or set a goal for myself, I am kind of like a crack head, charging forward as fast as I can to get to the destination.  A few months ago when I was starting to discover the joy of running again and I was contemplating an ultra marathon, I was very close to acting like a dumb ass and handling this challenge the same way.  Then I realized what a colossal error that would be on my part and decided I needed an intelligent and well planned course of action instead.  First off, anyone treating a 100 miles lightly and not respecting the distance would probably be doomed to fail.  I am also 47 years old and my body would definitely need more time to adjust and prepare for that amount of miles. I have had my sights on a 100 miler before, but never have I set a date and come up with a plan of action to accomplish such a sizeable feat.  I also understand that something this important will probably consume three years of my life, a...
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Introduction

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I believe I am finally ready to begin the monumental quest of completing a 100 mile ultra marathon.  It's something I have wanted to do for almost 20 years and have gone back and forth on the idea more times than I'd like to admit.  I'm not a professional, just an age group athlete that likes a good challenge from time to time.  It must sound crazy to a normal person, or to anyone that isn't into pushing themselves to unfathomable limits.  I'm being honest when I say that the thought of running for 24+ hours is overwhelming, but I feel drawn to the suffering and mystic surrounding such a difficult task.  So why do it?  There’s no actual or comprehensible reason I can explain in words.  All sorts of cheesy phrases come to mind, but probably the best one that represents me is, "because I can." For starters, I have been a runner for a good portion of my life, at least since I was a sophomore in high school.  Back then, I used to jog to stay in s...
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