Runners Quest

My first major setback...

2011-06-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

So I have officially faced my first challenge in training and it is unfortunately going to affect me for a few days. At work the other day I noticed a slight pinch in my upper leg every so often when I moved it into certain positions. I wasn't to concerned about it because I have had sore muscles for a while now so I just chalked it up to being another result of the training I was doing and I left it at that.

However I woke up the next morning to go on my daily run and found that as I was stretching the same area was extremely painful I continued to stretch and thought if I just loosened it up it would be fine. I begin a slight jog out the door to my starting point of my run and within a few steps the pain was getting worse and I knew then it was not good. I still jogged nearly a mile and a half but I did it very slowly and did not push at all.

I pulled a muscle in my quad area and I am not even sure how I did it but it definitely was evident I would be taking some time off to heal. That brings us to today which is my second day off healing. I have not noticed too much pain over the past couple days which is good. I have been doing the treatment of heat and ice combined on the muscle today and massaging to try to further the healing process. I am not sure how long I will be out but I know I am not going to make it worse and extend the injury. I feel good about a little time off as I know how much time I have to the race and I can afford the time to heal.

It starts...

2011-06-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well It has officially began as I am now in my second week of training. I spend much of the last month looking for and creating a training plan. I was able to find a good couple books that help lay out some pretty good principles and practices to prepare me for October 1st.

The plan I selected was a beginners plan that takes place over the span of 16 weeks. It has alternating days of running along with strength training days filling in the off days of running. I really feel good as I have kept true to the plan laid out. It will gradually get my weekly miles up and then taper down for the last few weeks before the race. I am getting up at 6:30am each morning to get my runs in and have even found a few friends who run with me some days so it is good to have friends around who push me and help me stay focused.

As for my nutrition plan I am doing very well with it as well I cook a lot more that I did and the quality of food is a helping me feel better each day. I have eliminated soda...again from my diet and drink sports drinks, water and milk with an occasional lemonade of course! I have cut out all fast food with the exception of a subway sandwich every now and then. The new plan has helped me feel like I have more energy as well as feel better about myself as I know I am making a strong effort to improve my health.

The plan has not been come without its downs as well though. I am really struggling getting enough sleep and I feel like that is a major area for me that I need to work on in order to really succeed with my goals I have set. I also have a lot of sore muscles and aches that I have never had before. I know I am not too old but my body is definitely going through a little tune up you might say.

Overall the training is going well as I continue to press forward with my goal of completing the St. George Marathon. I hope you all continue to follow me as I continue down the road.

The light that shines through...

2011-05-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

So I was startled awake this morning not by my six month old daughter but rather the sound of heavy rain hitting my bedroom window. The day looked like my last month of life...cloudy with a chance of storms! The last month has been trying in every way possible as far as stress, depression and exhaustion goes. Whatever the reasons it has been tough and I have pretty much been empty in almost every aspect of my life. Even during a 3 day vacation that was a great break from work and a chance to escape the daily routine seemed to be somewhat mediocre.

Now back to this morning and the gloom that so rudely startled me from my slumber. I laid in bed for a few moments and then the day and date suddenly struck me. Monday, May 9th! Now to most anyone else this is just another day, for me however this was the day the results of the St. George marathon lottery was to be posted. So like a 10 year old boy on Christmas morning I sprang out of bed as quick as I could to find my laptop.

With the suspense and waiting for the laptop to load I suddenly realized the feeling as I waited. It was excitement, butterflies and calm all rolled into one. as I mentioned the last month has been rough for me emotionally and for these 2 minutes waiting for the computer to load the stress and emotions were gone. Gone by way of excitement at the idea that I could possibly know if I was going to get the opportunity to fulfill a goal that I have had since I was a teenager.

And so I found the website in which I was prompted to enter my first and last name to see if I was selected or not. I quickly typed my name and hit enter. If I was selected my name would appear on the next screen...no name...I of course was not going to accept failure so I did what any desperate person would do...I blamed myself and entered the name again thinking I must have typed it in wrong.

The name popped up on the next screen and after my heart skipped at least 2 beats the thought crossed my mind...what have I done! 26.2 miles of running? What person in their right mind would do that to themselves? I am pretty sure there will be a waiver I will sign saying there is some kind of risk of injury or death!

After the initial shock and surprise passed came the excitement and joy. I am going to have a chance to do something that will challenge me, something that gives me an opportunity to grow and push me to the very limit. Those closest to me know my life and they will all tell you I have had my problems and setbacks in life. This marathon is officially going to be something I am doing for myself and it is something that may not be important to others but for me it is a chance to reclaim my life and take charge of me once and for all.

I do not have a lot of time and today is my day off of work so I am going to spend much of today putting together a training plan and getting everything in place for the long months of sweat ahead. I will be updating on a more consistent basis from here on out and could use all the support I can get so please follow the blog and keep me going. I love you all and let the countdown begin!

Let the waiting begin...

2011-04-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

With a few strokes on the good ol' keypad I am officially registered for the St George marathon. Today was the first day to register for the race and I did not want to waste any time in getting my name in the large pot of potential runners for the event. So now the fun waiting game begins and we will have to wait until May 5th to see if I am one of the lucky 7400 people selected to participate.

In the mean time I am not wasting any time in getting ready to officially start training and getting myself up to the physical form that it takes to complete a marathon. I have been reading a book by Ryan Hall. Some may know the name well and others may have no idea who I am referring to so let me explain. Ryan Hall is the current half marathon record holder in the United States as well as an Olympic athlete for the USA. In preparation for the upcoming Boston marathon Ryan recorded his training for the event and published it in a book. I decided to read it always wondering what it takes to become a professional distance runner. I am only half way through the book but it has really been enjoyable to read and has a lot of good pointers and insights into the world of distance running.

In addition to reading the book I have also been preparing a training schedule and researching diet and health subjects in relation to training for a marathon. I believe that this preparation is essential in completing the marathon and I am really excited to start officially training. So starting tomorrow morning my official training will begin with a mapped out plan of diet and exercise which will continue until I complete a marathon. As I mentioned in a previous blog I will also be searching for a back up marathon just in case the St. George plan does not pan out. Any way I look at it I begin official training tomorrow and I am more excited than anything to get the process started.

I will continue to update the blog with my training and updates along the way and inform you of new and developing aspects of my journey as they come. I may not be updating daily as you probably have already noticed but I will be updating so please continue to check back and see how I am doing.

The turning of the tides.

2011-03-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just when things were raining on my parade and it seemed as though my hopes and dreams of the marathon were being pulled away from me. The world seemed to spin the other direction and bright signs of hope and encouragement are warming my spirits as the outlook as become once again quite promising. And the hopes come just days before I throw my name and hope in with tens and thousands of people hoping to run the St. George Marathon.

Let me explain briefly...As my fellow followers know my schedule had become somewhat crippling to my efforts to train and prepare to run the marathon. Thats same difficult schedule is changing starting tomorrow and it is changing in my families favor. I will be able to start running in the morning again before my wife heads of to work and the sun will just be rising. The weather is also warning up quite nicely as well as we move into the month of April. Along with some other aspects of my life taking a turn for the better. I am happy to sit here across from my wife as she reads her book and I blog away feeling peace as to where my life is at this very moment in time. No worries, no stress, feeling of accomplishment and a promising future seems to be heading in our direction.

Make no mistake the moment will not last and I am well aware of what life throws our direction. Tomorrow for instance may bring a very different feel to it than the one I am experiencing at this very moment but it is these moments that everyone hopes and longs for. It is these moments that puts all the hard times and seemingly unbearable moments behind us and shines the light ahead. It is moments like these I pray everyone of us can appreciate when they come our way and take the moments when they come to truly enjoy life for what it is at these very peaceful moments.

The Marathon!

2011-03-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

As my fellow follower know I have made the decision on the marathon on which I will be registering to run later this year. After a pretty extensive research session on the marathons taking place this year I have selected the one. Are you all ready for it? I have selected to train and prepare to run The ST. George Utah Marathon! The race will take place on October 1st of this year.

I have made this decision on a few factors such as location, prestige and climate of the area. As most runners know the St. George marathon is a very popular marathon with around 7400 runners each year. It is also a qualifier for the famous Boston Marathon. Do not worry though I will not be looking to qualify anytime soon. I will admit that visiting Boston is on my bucket list but it wont be happening anytime soon. I also choose the area as it is close to where I grew up as well as it shares a similar climate to my current living location so training will be easier for transition.

There are a few possible hang ups to this selection which I am prepared to face if they come along. The first of which is this is a lottery race as 10s of thousands of people register for the race and only 7400 are chosen. So on April 1st I will enter with the rest of the hopeful runner and cross my fingers and wait. During the wait I will most likely choose a back up Marathon in case I am not selected to run. Another possible drawback is the time to train. I only have around 7 months to train for the race. This is ample time I know, I just need to get the ball going in really get myself in shape.

Over the next 7 months I will be selecting other smaller races to train and use to prepare for the marathon. Starting with a 5k in April and working my up from there. Until I am running at least a half marathon in late August or early September. I have always said that if I am actually registered for a race I have more incentive to train so I am hoping this will get me more than ready for the big day in October.

I know you are all not as excited for this day as I am but I can tell you that I am excited to have a date and to be putting it out there for everyone. I will keep you all updated as registration for the race comes and let you know the status as I begin to really train for the races ahead. Let the countdown begin!

March Madness...

2011-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Most people would think march madness would be tied to college basketball. And any other year I would be right along with the sports enthusiasts glued to the TV watching every game they could. However, this year I find myself somewhat maturing in the fact that I have a lot more to worry about than I have in the past which leaves less time to watch. I am quite certain that not watching for the most part is a good thing. I will not lie and say I have cut off basketball all together because I do check the scores at the end of the day to see who has won and who has lost. I did go without filling out a bracket this year and I think I have watched a total of one complete game so far. Surprisingly enough though I am still alive even though I have not followed every basket. Just like I am sure I will live if there is no NFL this next year(Which is a blog for a different day trust me!)

Work has been extremely busy leaving me coming down literally ill today on my day off. I know that most people out there have this same problem as I know people are working a lot harder and stressing a lot more to keep the jobs they do have. I know this is not how life is suppose to be we are suppose to enjoy life and enjoy what we do. The past few days have me questioning my career. I like what I do for the most part but, is the most part enough? Is there something out there I would enjoy doing more even if the pay was not as good? These questions and hundreds more have flooded my mind all weekend as I have struggled through work. And it is these questions that I am sure that most of us face at one point or another in our lifetime. The bottom line however is that I can provide for my wife and my kids and that is something I am grateful for.

I would like to give a small update on my running...or lack there of. I am not happy to tell all of you my running has hit a bump in the road. With work, school and life in general the running quickly took a back seat. Now let me emphasize that I have hit a bump in the road and not a wall blocking the road. I am proud to say that I am still progressing in the fact that I have selected a Marathon in which I will train to compete in. And as many of you who ever watch TV know that suspense is the best way to keep people interested so... I will be announcing the race tomorrow at some point in the day. So please check back and see where my goals will be taking me!

As for today I am going to go and attempt to enjoy the rest of my day off and try to get physically healthy. Remember to check back tomorrow for the big news!

The climb we call life.

2011-03-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well this week has been nothing short of exhausting both emotionally and physically draining every little bit of energy is just gone.School is definitely taking its toll on my time and efforts. This morning I went over all that I have to do before this weekend and it is nothing short of impossible. whoever coined the phrase "Nothing is Impossible" obviously was living in a different time period. Work is a whole different stress all together as the tasks and responsibilities have become very difficult in just a matter of days. Balancing it all is definitely proving a difficult task in deed.

Now I know what you all are thinking, "This is a downer to read today" the truth is this is the life in which every one of us can relate. No matter who we are or what we are involved in the days never have enough time in them and yes the days can be stressful. The deciding factor of whether we fail or succeed is if we let the stresses win. I am at the point right now where I have stopped rushing, panicking, and exhausting myself. I am taking a step back and making the decision to change what makes my life hectic.

I believe what makes my life stressful is the inability to follow goals and planning. I talked about how this blog has replaced the notebooks that I frequented for planning and goal setting. Well those fellow followers have also noticed that it has been a number of days since I have posted. In those days life has gotten the best of me. Alarms go unheard, snack foods have become a part of my diet and most detrimental is my self esteem level has dropped.

Life is full of ups and downs and we all know that, we have good, bad, normal and terrible days. The great thing about the lives in which we live is that there is always another day to look forward to and to start new. I have had a few bad days but now I get to put into practice the idea that we are all in charge of our own destiny. We choose to fail or we choose to try and succeed. And finally we choose to put the foot in front of us and move forward.

I learned an important lesson this last summer hiking a large peak with the summit of 12,000+ feet. The hike was long and tiring with the goal in sight the entire way. from the bottom we looked up at it knowing we were going to hike to the top. The only way to get to the top for us was to start with the ever important first step. We could sit and look at it from the bottom all day long and admire the beauty of that mountain from a distance. We chose a different path that day though, We choose the view from the top and the only way to that view was to climb. And so we moved one foot in front of the other until nearly 2 hours later we reached the summit. The view is indescribable from the top of that mountain and had I not put one step in front of the other I would have been left with the view that everyone else sees from the bottom.

And so it is with the struggles that life throws our way, One foot in front of the other not letting life stop is and slow us down. The view from the top truly is remarkable.

A Major Wrench...

2011-03-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

So living in a remote area definetly has its advantages and things that I love about the quiet, the stars at night and sounds of nature that you cannot find in most places. Then there is a major down side that I discovered this morning that had not really crossed my mind as to how much it would affect my goals. Ah the wonderful concept of changing time to give us more daylight time... Only problem is it took daylight away from the time that I need it to run in the remote desert area I call home. Now I know that I will get the light back eventually but the fact of my situation is that I need to run right around 6:00am. Which overnight become a time of pitch blackness.

And so I am left to reevaluate my plan and try to think of new ways to fit training into my schedule. Ah my schedule...I have not gone into much specifics regarding my busy schedule. I have tried to work out a schedule that allows me to use my time wisely and productively to accomplish all the things on my plate. I work a full time job, watch my daughter from 7:00am to 2:00pm on days that my wife works, and I also attending college through online courses. So like I said 6:00am worked for me, it fit in the schedule perfectly!

Oh well luckily I will have 2 days off work so at least today and tomorrow I will be able to run after my wife gets home. It will buy me time to figure out an alternative for the rest of the week.

I have however been doing some research on marathons that are coming up this year and working on selecting "The One". I am going to select one hopefully by the end of this week so I can also start selecting a few shorter distance races to train for and participate in in preparation for the marathon. In selecting the marathon I will be participating in I have to look at a lot of different factors. Fortunately for me they are all 26.2 miles so I will not to worry about finding a shorter marathon to run. Location is a big factor as cost of travel is higher than ever these days so I that will be a major player in the decision. I also want to find somewhere that I want to run and that I can picture myself running for over 4 hours in. There of course a number of other things that I have to think about over the next week as I research my options.

And so I reach out to my fellow followers of the blog world. Is there a marathon you know of around you? If you have run a marathon what is your favorite? Are there any tips you can give me in training for my first go at it? I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions and thank all of you for following the blog.

Oh and by the way I will be getting pictures up soon of the area that I get to run in every day so look for that sometime this week.

My Notebooks

2011-03-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

My days seem to get overloaded some days with all the things that are involved in my everyday life. I know everyones life is busy with each of us being pulled literally dozens of different ways at a given moment. My main list includes in no particular order are, family, school, work, church, health, fitness, finances, and fun. This list is just the main branches of which hundreds and hundreds of smaller limbs extend out. Every day we have 24 hours to accomplish all that we can from these lists. Some take seconds to accomplish others take hours but no matter what we never have enough time in the day.

I have always been very good at planning for success I love to get a good pen and a nice notebook and write out a plan for getting things done. To this day going out and buying a new notebook and a nice pen excites me to sit down and write out a good point to point layout of exactly how I am going to get things done. There is one major flaw with this habit of mine. I have notebooks and pens laying all over my house, The bookshelf, nightstand and even the car has a notebook for me to plan if I ever need.

The flaw that comes with this habit is that I can plan with the best of but actually following through with the plan is a different story. So why do I tell you this you ask? I am telling you this because this blog is becoming something I feel accountable to with the notebooks I was not accountable and I could write everything down and leave it for days weeks and even months without looking at it twice. I know that each time I write in this that people are reading it. Possibly complete strangers reading my words and that though sticks with me each day and I have to say it excites me to know that people are reading my thoughts and following me through my blog.

For those who do follow my blog I thank you and for those who are reading for the first time I thank you for taking the time to glance at my page and hope you come back again.

Time for a check up.

2011-03-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

After nearly a week of dieting and improved exercise I decided to run my body through a little check up and progress test. I started this journey with a small nearly two mile run of which I did not push myself at all but did run a stopwatch on. That stopwatch read nearly 18 minutes for two times around the close to mile long course i selected.

I have kept up the healthier eating habits eliminating nearly all junk food and soda that used to be a regular part of my life. I pass on sweets and have a gallon of ice cream in the freezer that I occasionally grab a spoonful or two out of. These habits are becoming just that, habits that do not take a lot of effort to resist. I would rather have a cold glass of water to drink, a sandwich instead of a burger and a piece of fruit opposed to a piece of chocolate. I just hope that I can continue this healthy way of life as I am beginning to feel myself becoming more energized and healthy in everything I do.

Now back to my run this morning. I decided to take it up a notch and actually run for time. I picked a starting and finishing point and stood with my finger on the start button on my wrist watch. Taking a few deep breaths I pushed the button and took off. It was another cold morning as my breath was clearly visible with every exhale that I made. I rounded the first lap feeling fast but my body was definitely telling me it was being pushed. I kept going around the second time but could definitely feel myself wearing down fast. I crossed the finish pressing the stop button as I crossed the predetermined stopping point. I took deep breaths as I tried to feel my exhausted lungs with oxygen. I glanced down at the watch and read the digits 15:06. A relief came over my body as improvement was made. Like I said in the beginning of this quest I am not looking for world records but I will definetly take the personal bests that hope to come along the way.

So I am happy to report progress being made and starting the day off on a good note and now i am off to continue the day that awaits.

Procrastination gets the best of me...

2011-03-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

The alarm went off as normal and the snooze was it with the famous thought "Just another few minutes" going through my head. only problem is a few minutes turned into an hour and half. I finally pulled myself out of bed around 6:30 then I told myself "Ya know what today is another day off I will run the afternoon after my wife gets home from work" change it up some ya know? and so I went through the morning taking care of my daughter and cleaning up the house a bit. also took some time to relax and play a few games on my Playstation. I know its one of my guilty pleasures and escapes from the everyday stress and drama that goes on around me.

Well the morning went by with my daughter acting fussy and clingy which led to me getting the bare minimum done than I had originally desired. On top of that she had developed a pretty bad rash on her lower back that looks extremely painful and my heart ached for her each time I looked at it. She did not seem to mind although like I said she was a bit more fussy and clingy than usual. So when my wife got home she checked it out and decided we better call the doctors office to see if they had any insight on what we should do. Well we called and explained what was going on and they felt that we should bring her in to get a doctors opinion. Here is the catch to this whole scenario, we live an hour and a half from our pediatrics office. So within 20 minutes we were in the car and on the road. We got to the doctors office and waited about 45 minutes for the doctor to see us and give us the diagnoses. Nothing to serious just a bad rash and sensitive skin so we got the prescriptions, picked up some food and headed back home.

"Well looks like I will not get any running in today" I thought along the drive home as the sun set and we arrived home around 8:30pm. So the moral of the story is to not let a moment pass because once it passes it is gone and you can not get it back. The snooze button mentality of "Just a few more minutes" and the procrastination thought of "I will do it later" may have got the best of me today but be assured that tomorrow is a new day with another beautiful morning to wake up to. So as with any day the sun will set only to bring forth the sunrise of morning. When it does I will be there to greet it and admire the beauty that I missed greatly today.

What a start to the week!

2011-03-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

So I am often amazed by the world in which we live in and how complex life is becoming. Stress is a daily if not hourly part of many peoples life and my life is no exception. Of course finances lead the stresses for many I am sure, being able to provide and support our families and ourselves is not an easy thing these days as many know. We work hard to earn the money we earn and do our best each day to keep a job and do well at it. I for one am grateful for the job I do have and the income I am able to acquire to help support my family. Now with that being said....It's my day off!!! :)

And so the morning could not come soon enough as I could not wait to get out on the road today. I did allow myself to sleep in just a bit to 6:00am but I figured it does not even start getting light until 5:50am so why not enjoy the snooze a bit. I was dressed, stretched and out the door by 5:55am with my shoes double knotted, three layers of shirts, shorts and a beanie as my ensemble. I also did some more searching for long lost running accessories like my wrist watch and my reflector vest that I bought for the Ragnar Relay race I participated in last year. I needed the vest this morning because I was ready to get out on the open road and enjoy the scenery beyond what I see every day from my windows and porch. And boy was it a great run!

I started the watch on my wrist not with the intent of timing how fast I completed the run but for more measuring the time I ran. I pushed play on the ipod triggering the Journey album I decided to listen to for todays run and started out. Immediately I felt a slight rubbing pain on my right heel as I took my first few steps. "It's probably just the cheap socks I am wearing" I thought and I made a mental note to put that on my shopping list. After a few more minutes the pain seemed to have gone away and I just ran. My body felt good today and I am pretty sure getting in a good stretch had a lot to do with it as I stretched for a good 15 minutes before the run. So I ran a pretty good distance away from my home and then I turned around and came back. The course was all uphill out which meant coming back was just me putting my long legs to work and enjoying the downhill. As a high school coach once shouted during a practice. "You got long lanky legs, use em!" So I did today and it felt great.

As I finished the run and took my signature turn off the music and enjoy the serenity moments I am becoming addicted to these early morning for sure. The time on my watch read 28:38 and again I am not sure how far I ran but it was sufficient to go this long and to feel as good as I did after. However, back to the heel we go as I came inside and removed the socks from my feet to inspect the pain I felt. Yep you guessed it. My first blister! So remedies for blisters will be researched at some time today I am sure and hopefully this will not be a hindrance to my routine and I will be back on the road without a hiccup.

What a great start to my day off as well as my week ahead. I hope you all enjoy the new design of the blog and I appreciate the feedback I have been receiving. I hope everyone out there is able to have a great week as I look forward to sharing my week with you as I go.

A Day Off.

2011-03-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

Well I know I just started this quest only a few days ago but, today is a rest day. Now don't worry I am not becoming lazy or anything like that. Sundays will be my day of rest and recuperation as well as my day to get ready for the week ahead. This will be the case throughout my journey and although I love running this day will be a welcomed reward I am sure.

I will admit that I really felt the aches and pains throughout the day yesterday. Especially all up and down my right leg shin splints have been a problem of mine in the past when I have started up running after a period away from the practice. I only of I can overcome and prevent them if at all possible I probably could do a little bit better of a job stretching before and after my run to help ease the pain before I get all tight after my runs. I remember in high school how much focus was put on stretching and stretching well. This is a practice that I need to implement if I am going to continue to get stronger and more proficient with my running.

I also wanted to mention how I have changed my eating habits during my daily routine. Like I said in my first post I had become quite a non healthy eater as of late. Eating all types of unhealthy foods in large quantities hamburgers, pizza and soda was quickly becoming staples in my diet. I am proud to announce that I have been soda free for over 3 days and eating healthy foods like salads, eggs, fruits and vegetables. I also try to start every day with a protein shake after my run. Another thing that I am trying to do is drink lots and lots of water. While all this sounds good and healthy I think my body is literally going through withdraws from the soda I feel like I have a constant small headache all day. It was an interesting coincidence that I studied the effects of caffeine yesterday in one of my classes. The body becomes so dependent on the caffeine that when you stop your body will go through various illnesses because it craves it. I know to most this seems minor and in reality it is. I am trying to improve my life even in the small things like drinking water instead of soda just so I can be healthier and more importantly be more joyful.

Well my friends tomorrow is a new day that begins a new week. I am looking forward to lacing up the shoes and going wherever the road takes me in the week to come.

The Sunrise

2011-03-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well todays post starts last night after a great morning I had got ready for work and headed in. Throughout the work day I kept thinking why cant I rewind to watching the sunset after a good run? Things were so simple and worry free...I liked it and could not wait to do it again this morning.

This is where reality sets in. I come home after work exhausted and ready to go to bed but I had a test I had to take online for one of my classes and so I sat down and completed that. Which after the day of work I had my mind was just not functioning anymore so I did not do as well as I could have on the test. So just ready to have this day behind me I headed to bed making sure to take my phone with the preset alarm with me. I was out within minutes in a deep comfortable slumber.

The night was a rough one with my daughter fussing throughout the night. The nice thing about my daughters rough nights is she gets uncomfortable so you just have to go help her get comfortable again and she goes right back to sleep which allows my wife and I to go right back to sleep as well. However, last night she decides that she is going to be uncomfortable a lot which meant a reoccurring wake up call every half hour to hour all night.

The 5:00am wake up call came and went as I recall turning it off not with the thought of "It's time to run" but more like "Hurry shut it off so it does not wake the baby up!" so needless to say I did not get up at 5:00am.
I did get up though, around 6:00am I pulled myself our of bed to begin my run.

It was colder outside than it was yesterday so I had to wear an extra layer of clothes and a pair of gloves to combat the low temperatures. With the music in my ear and my shoes laced up I decided to do the exact same run as I did yesterday without timing myself. For some reason as I was getting ready to start the run the old saying crossed my mind. "A watched pot never boils." I used this mentality thinking that if I concentrate just on time I might get discouraged and stop before I get started on this quest. I know every person is different and they have to make their own plans and routines and mine is still being configured at this point. So I did without the timer today and just ran with the focus of just enjoying the run.

And so it was the run went well just me,music and the very cold morning. One thing you have to understand is that I was raised in the desert and this meant afternoon cross county practices in August and September and April and May track practices with temperatures well in the 90's. This cold weather running is new to me and my lungs were wondering what they did to deserve this torture I was putting them through. I completed the two laps in what I am sure was a slower time than yesterday. Right now I am trying to focus on consistency and routine. Consistently getting out there no matter what the circumstances and trying to see the results as I continue to go.

Once again after the run I took a few moments to meditate as the sun rose up over the hills illuminating the sky before me. If I were to take a bottle to put how I feel at this very moment and store it for the stresses I am sure to face throughout the day I would have the greatest stress cure in the world. With all that science figures out in this world this would be my request to them. Make bottled sunrises and sunsets to carry with you in your pocket so that one can open it up when life throws it ugly head ones way and make everything disappear just for a moment.

5:00am comes early...

2011-03-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

   So lying in bed last night my wife asks me if I was actually going to get up this morning when my alarm goes off. Yeah I said as I grabbed my phone to set an alarm, "I will believe it when I see it" as she turned over to go to sleep. "What do you want to bet?" "Nothing because you are not going to do it" she shot back. Well I had all I needed to motivate me to an early rise the next morning that is for sure!

   So I rolled over and somewhat quickly went to sleep after a rather rough night at work that left me worn out and relaxed in my nice warm comfortable bed. This wonderful slumber and rest was violently interrupted by the sound of music blasting from my cell phone at 5:00am. Yeah I know I set the alarm but I don't think anyone is ever excited to be woken up by an alarm especially when deep into sleep. Once I was over the anger that the alarm had caused the next thought that crossed my mind was my wifes lack of faith in me from the night before.

   I rolled out of bed and immediatly felt the same soreness in my throat that I had felt the past two mornings I had woken up. The same remedy would be applied as the previous days and that was a good helping of vitamin C water before my run. I got my clothes together and got dressed for the run that was awaiting me. A rather funny sight I am sure was me literally digging through our shoe bin looking for my running shoes...yeah I know sad huh?

   I opened the door around 5:30 only to find it was still pitch black outside and I could not even see the path below our house let alone the road that I had planned on running. So I closed the door and sat down and did a little bit of reading while finishing my bottle of water. Once the clock was a bit closer to 6:00am I once again made my way to the door and opened it up to find the horizon glowing with the anticipation of the sun rise.

   So my run begins and surprisingly enough I found myself feeling pretty good physically. I made my way around the nearly mile loop with one foot in from of the other and feeling pretty good the entire way around. I had selected my tunes on my ipod prior to starting as well as put to use the stopwatch feature. Now lets make it clear I am not planning on setting any world records in this running quest. However I do want to see improvements and see the results that come in this endeavor. So I made it around the loop once and glanced at the clock. 8:51 I hit the lap button and stuck it back into my pocket as I started the second lap. The second lap went nearly as good as the first as I at one point even felt like going for a third lap. I of course do not want to burn myself out right off the bat so I restrained myself and only completed 2 laps on the nearly mile long loop. I reached down and hit the stop button on the ipod and read the glowing screen as it read 17.58. So I could be really upset at the time seeing how in high school my personal best for the 2 mile was 12:09. But I cant get discouraged on the first day after going so long without running. I mean my body felt good and I did not have to stop and walk the whole time so over all I am satisfied with my first run of this quest.

On top of finishing the run my music stopped playing from my ipod just as the sunrise began to ascend over the hills and the peace of the morning came as a calm reminder of what I miss every morning with my eyes closed. I am fortunate to live in a peaceful secluded area with a river within a few hundred yards from my front door. So I found myself just standing there watching the sunrise and listening to the river flow. For a few moments I was the only person in the world and there was not a worry or thought in the world that could interrupt it. If every day of running continues like this one I am in for an amazing journey.

The Goal...

2011-03-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

As a runner in high school I love the feeling that running brings, The accomplishment of doing something that is beyond sane and crossing into insanity. To lace up a pair of shoes and pound the street step after step, pushing the body every inch of the multi mile race. Or the utter feeling of relief and accomplishment as you cross the finish line knowing that you won the mind over body war that wages inside every time you feel your body telling you it has had too much.

That feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction is long gone from my life as I am now 28 years old and about 30 to 40 extra pounds on me since the glory days of high school. Junk food, soda, pizza and mastering the art and practice of the couch potato has taken its tole on my body and spirit that earns for a more fulfilling and happy life.

I know the spirit of running flows in millions of people all over the world as I see the throngs of people gathered from the smallest high school cross country races all the way up to the thousands who accomplish their dream of running the Boston Marathon. This group of runners is not only just a group but it is a family of people all wanting the same goal...the finish line.

It is this family of runners in which I want to be a part of again, the accomplishments I want to complete again and most importantly I want to be happy and healthy again.

As this blog goes on I will be updating my progress towards the goal of a marathon. Of which even that I do not know the specifics of. So join me in this journey and comment, post and fill everyone else in on your goals and progress towards your own goals. I want this to be somewhere I can come each day and reach out to people and friends all over the world.

Happy running :)