it's time

ajw said it best, "it is build up time."

oh he nailed it.

it is time to take a business type approach now. no missing workouts. no skimping on miles run. it is time to put in the homework. afterall, he should know best, he is in education and a former teacher.

i have started my doubles. the long runs on the weekends are starting to come together. maybe my body has adapted to the blood pressure medication. i am still crossing my fingers on this...

oh this is starting to get fun now that the long runs resemble some of my long runs in the past two years. i am just so thankful that i can have relentless forward motion for 5+ hours. something i would have never dreamed of when i ran a few marathons in years past.

i am just going to roll the dice and hope the luck continues.

i hope all your training is going well.

on a side note, i am intreaged by running events like Sustina and Arrowhead. Maybe Arrowhead a little more as i was born in Minnesota. plus, i have been lucky enough to run slow for a long time in 100's. Arrowhead in February for 135 miles, mmmm, that is interesting. i'm going to have to ponder that for a bit. oh, get educated on doing that kind of event also.

it is time to build. i am ready to do that.

have fun, see you on the trail

ok, it's time to start training

well the holiday's have passed, i've gained some weight since last june at kettle. this happens every year. i fall off on training when winter approaches. i eat an extra slice of pizza or two, skip a run or two and low and behold i've gained 10 pounds in six months. oh well, the pizza did tast good you know.

so the numbers don't lie... 150 cushy pounds, 22% body fat. like in years past i hope to drop ten pounds and about drop to 14% body fat. those would be nice numbers to toe the line in june. now the work begins.

so, i have limited amount of weeks until race day. but really i have to take in account training weeks and tapering weeks. probably do a 2-3 week taper i figure.

oh, i'll do a few races before that. not many though. races are fun to see old friends and of course meet new ones on the trail. i plan on running slow at the races because i won't be tapering for any of them and i plan on running straight through them.

i look forward to races because they are new places to visit and just to enjoy a different trail.

now for my goals... you make goals right? I do. yea, i am not a fast runner. but i have specific goals for 2-3 races a year. i don't "race" any more than that. so for this year i have two races that i have specific goals for... a 100 and Waldo. the bummer part of Waldo is I really want to run a lot faster but my ultimate goal finishing time is pretty darn fast for my ability. but what the heck, going to give it a shot. i'm going to specifically train for waldo after the 100. it is going to be fun. dang, what a race. not only the 100k masters trail championship but also the 100k OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS!!! love watching the fast folks from the back.

so, the work is about ready to beging in a week or so. i look forward to it. afterall, my guess is you have to put the homework in for a 100. from what i understand is you can't fake your way through those monstors.

looking to have fun. see you on the trails...

looking back

well, i mulled through a few of the numbers that happened last year and here it is...

days ran: 277

days running twice in one day: 75

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
before second run of the day: 70

servings of tuna or salmon: 280

miles driven to trail heads: 7711 miles

pairs of shoes gone through: 7

number of toenails lost: 12

cases of Crank Gel bought: 1.5 (144 Gels)

containers of GU2o bought: 4

times fell during a race: 4

$ of batteries spent: $40

$ of batteries spent for altimeter watch: $2

times worn a heart rate monitor: 0 (i'm still breathing, don't need a beeping thing to know that)

# of meatloaf sandwiches eaten on a training run: 4

# of cans of beans eaten during races: 5 (i have craig to thank for this)

# of times gotten sick during races: 8

inches of elastikon used to tap feet for races: 96"

epic races: 1 ( and i didn't even run...watching brother get top ten at States, hands down!!!)

miles ran: 2900 (ok, slacker compared to the year before)

impressed points by other runners here in the NW: can't count that high...

Brother finishing M9 at States!!!


































Hal, winning States!!!































Dan Olmstead staying 2 minutes out front of Hal all day at McKenzie River 50k and winning his first ultra.

















craig finishing 15th at states but still got "chicked" at Javalina (he had a great year in my book)




















Rod's 3.5hr pr at States and 5th place finish at the North Face 50 mile challenge.




Meghan finishing F5, winning Where's Waldo 100k outright, and qualifying for the Olympic Trials Marathon at age 46. (she'll be joining Joan Benoit, at age 50, on a glorious day in Boston this year.)















Lewis Taylor winnig Cool and after taking
chicken hawk road at states, still got Silver.

















Sean finishing 8th at JFK in 6:31. (what will he do at Boston???)


Ronda slamming!!! and having some very fast times in those 100's!!! James Kerby 2nd at Vermont.


Whit Rambach, 10th., Jeff Browning, 15th, and James Varner,25th, (but in top ten for much of the race), at Hardrock.







Kami's 9th place finish at the 100k World Championship and 8th at States. And all the Corvallis gang finishing sub 24 at States.




Then Mike "Bushwacker" Burke just doesn't slow done with now entering retirement. Matt Hart winning Mt. Hood PCT 50, 2nd at H.U.R.T. 100k, and 2nd at Grand Teton 100, behind AJW.














dr. dave, david terry finishing 18th for his 10th wasatch!!!










and of course scott jurek. The list goes on... i know i missed other outstanding performances. but the NW had a pretty good year. it was fun to watch all the fast folks.

happy points earned for a wonderful year: a bakers dozen. (wait, i can't eat dognuts) it was a fun year!

i'm looking forward to this year just as much if not more.


what are some of your numbers?