Run for the Red,
Haven’t’ blogged in awhile, really due to lack of motivation
to focus on a goal. Starting 2017 I
trained hard getting ready for endurance MTB season and had a few good races
until I tried to run my 8th annual Athens Big Fork Marathon (that is
still the hardest marathon in the US!)
It was rescheduled to the middle of my MTB Races and I think it caused a
down effect to my legs, lungs, and soul.
Soon after I hit Boston Marathon chasing my beautiful wife and I thought
this would be easy and I soon found out my legs were shot! Then another race soon after burning the
candle on both ends and boom I was out of commission for almost 2 weeks. Live and Learn - Always Learning seems to be
my slogan these days.
On to the Race: As we arrived to
NYC for Run for the Red 2017 we rented a car and I get to drive in NYC - yes I
am not ready for that but I got a Ford Fiesta and I was putting it on the floor
testing the rental to see what it kind of of power it had! Kristin has 3 GPS units running at the same
time in minutes and I am trying to SYNC so I can get some Ed Sharron jamming
over the Fiesta Top of the Line sound system to ease my nerves!
Next day we hop in the Fiesta and hit the interstate heading
to the PA and right before we stop and hit the Appalachian Trail (a dream Kristin
has had to run and hike on) so we got a pre marathon shake out on the AT and it
was really amazing and the weather couldn’t have been better!
Roll into the small but big town of Stroudsburg, PA to a
super nice High School where they hold the running expo - super laid back and
small - love it! But my stomach was
upset because I was standing at the computer to sign up for the Full Marathon
and really really really wanting to sign up.
My wife was not telling me to sign up and not telling me not to sign
up. My mind was saying you can finish
another marathon and was also seeing Kristin running leaving me at mile 15 in
Boston marathon. Two problems with this:
1.
I haven’t been training or running pretty much
at all!
2.
Kristin is just running too stinking fast!
The lady told me there were 2 spots open and I thought, “I
have to do it now it is a sign!” Then
she picked up a stack of 200 bibs she had open for the race and laughed.
I DID NOT SIGN UP!
So proud of myself the next day of the race, because dropped K-Jo off at
the start and I was still thinking I could hop out and run bandit. But I resisted and drop back down the
mountain to finish line and lined up for the 5k and took off having a great
time until they turned to go back to the finish I kept going backwards on the
marathon course getting a lot of funny looks and people saying, “You are going
the wrong way!” I ran to mile 17 fixing
cones on the racecourse that some redneck ran over and saw my wife running
super strong at mile 17. I jumped in the
woods to drop the big Dunkin Donut coffee I had drank so I could keep up with
her! She was killing it and I was
already covered in sweat but now we had a head wind which felt great as I picked
up the pace to stay it her! The course
is so pretty the whole way! I ran to the
finish with her and she got another Boston Qualifier and she earned it!
You can just step up to marathon and get a Boston Qualifier
pretty sure even some fast guys would agree with me! You have to work for it and I may have been
in pretty good biking shape this spring I didn’t train for a marathon and my
body showed me and told me that I didn’t train for marathon this spring. Kristin and some others in Poteau Area have
worked hard and you can see their results but as I am getting older it is not
just about hard work. It is a training
plan that you can enjoy and most important get to the starting line healthy and
not beat up! Kristin did this for 2016
and 2017 she is getting faster even with her age!
She ask me at Bar Nine was next and I told her I really didn’t
know but going to get a race or races to sign up for and then start with a
plan! She said, “I will write you a
plan!”
So plans are coming soon and you can bet there will be some
longer days coming and lots of elevation!
A new training buddy I am pumped for is Scarlett just moved up a size on
that bike! Which means I don’t have to
break my back to hold her and she will be killing me as she rides the bike and
I run! Lots of swimming work to help the
body recover, core workouts and rock climbing!
Looking back at when I was strong and what I was doing more of in my
work-outs!
Kristin love you and proud to have ran with you and have
such a great weekend with you! PS what
out for cracks in the sidewalks in NYC!
