Leadville Trail 100 and Colorado

I had the opportunity to go out to Colorado to crew/pace a buddy of mine during the Leadville Trail 100 mile ultramarathon, this was single handily one of the most awesome experiences in my life. While out there I had the opportunity to hike to the summit of Mount Elbert which is the highest peak in Colorado @ 14,433 feet above sea level and the second highest peak in the lower 48 states. Below is my recap of my pacing duties that I posted on Daily Mile and in the interest of time I'll just use that and give some additional thoughts below.

"My job was to get Jay up and over Hope Pass during the Leadville 100. I picked him up after 50 miles of running and only an hour into the climb I wasn't able to keep up with him. The trail was very congested at this point with inbound and outbound runners and every time he would surge to pass someone I would struggle to catch back up only for him to surge past someone else. I'd like to blame it on the head cold I've been plagued with the last week but the fact of the matter is he is just a beast going up hill, it was like trying to keep up with a damn mountain goat. Eventually I started to become light headed and faint and had to stop as my heart rate skyrocketed. I gave him the last bottle of water so he could continue on without me and hopefully meet back up with him at the Hope Pass aid station. About 10 minutes later, Marshall, a friend of Jay's who was out there to pace someone else who had dropped out of the race came flying by me looking to help out. It was like a gift from God seeing him, I was struggling so bad trying to catch back up and mentally I was starting to crack knowing it just wasn't going to happen. Once I knew Jay was going to be okay I could go at my own pace and not over work myself. After I made the aid station I refilled my water bottles and started the trek down the mountain. Going down hill is by far my stronger suit and I was able to pass a lot of people and made up quite a bit of time apparently I came in to the Twin Lakes aid station only a few minutes after he left and I was told Marshall was with him and he was doing good, thankfully. Quite a humbling experience but it was really amazing too, reading about this race and actually experiencing are two completely different things. So proud of Jay, Tom, Flynn and everyone who competed out there, a whole new respect for that race, and the amount of physical and mental strength it takes just to line up let alone complete."

Now I've read a number of accounts of this race in various ultra runners biography's but to read about something and to actually experience it are like previously stated two completely different things. First off when you live in the Midwest and the steepest thing you encounter on a training run is a 100 foot climb you can not even fathom what gaining 3000-4000 feet of elevation is like, especially on some of the gnarliest nastiest trails out there. Over the course of last week I experienced the 3 hardest things I've ever done physically, climbing Lake Deluge trail, Mount Elbert and Hope Pass and even though they kicked my butt I loved it. I may not have enjoyed it fully at the time, but looking back it was simply amazing and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Freedom Run 5k

OK its been an awful long time since I've posted anything here, a lot has gone on but don't have time to play catch up right now. Here is a recap of last nights Freedom Run 5k.

Ran the freedom run 5k with Caden, he had a bit of trouble with side stitches during our warm up and they just never went away. We had to walk considerably more than the firecracker but considering hes only run 3 or 4 times in the last month he did amazing finishing in just over 36 minutes. I was worried this would turn him off racing but at the end he still sprinted towards the finish smiling and egging me on that he was gonna beat me. I live how much joy he gets out of running and I'm so thankful I can share it with him, makes me love to run all over again.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Not just another run

Haven't posted much lately, I've either not had the time, desire or anything interesting to share but had to share this from yesterday.

Caden's tball game ended early last night so was able to steal back the run I had skipped that morning when we got home. Started out running with the boys, we jogged down to the school and did our 2 laps there (Casey rode his bike and only ran one lap, his legs were hurting, think he may be getting shin splints) and then ran home. Proud to say that Caden completed the 1.7 mile loop nearly a full minute faster than on Saturday and this time he chatted me up the whole time, pretty sure he is going to have no problem knocking out the Firecracker 5k as long as he paces himself accordingly. I'm simply amazed at his exuberance for exercise and what seems like an unending pool of energy. I haven't coerced him or his brother into running or exercise (other than laying the foundation by setting an example) and Caden especially has latched on to it. Definitely makes me proud and excited about the whole thing.

After dropping off the boys I headed back out for more pushing the pace for a progressive tempo effort. This run felt great and an 8:30 mile felt nearly effortless, was able to peel off 7:50ish for the last mile. Did a little cool down jog around the block to finish off. Feeling pretty confident about my fitness with just a little over a week to go till my first race of the season, can't wait!


Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Run for Renewal RR

Saturday I ran the Run for Renewal 5k, this was race #3 of the Live Uncommon Race Series and the only repeat event from last year and one of my favorites because of the cause it supports, Project Renewal, an after school program for underprivileged youth. They got a huge boost in participants this year when Live Uncommon stepped up and covered the cost of entrants this past week as a way to show support for the tragedy that happened last Monday at the Boston Marathon, which in a nut shell is one of the reasons I love being associated with Live Uncommon, doing good and awesome things because it is the right thing do for everyone.

As far as the race, I had no expectation of running this hard since I've only been back running now for a couple of weeks. My goal was to finish under 28 minutes and keep it nice and easy, I ran with my friend Anne for the entire race (I was hopping I could keep up with her the whole time) and it was nice to catch up with her. Best part was I had no pain in my Achilles during or after the race even with picking up the tempo a little for this race, I think I'm ready to start pushing things a little more this week and see how it responds.

Afterwards I ran some cool down miles downtown and checked out the flood waters, I also ran some stairs in one of the parking garages to get a better view, it's crazy to think that downtown Davenport floods nearly every year and yet they refuse to put up any kind of flood wall, what's that they say about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...yeah I think the City Administrators qualify on that one.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

My Heart is Sad Today

I haven’t blogged in quite some time, my post started to get monotonous and then I went on vacation and I really got out of the habit but today I am compelled to write something about the tragedy that occurred yesterday during the Boston Marathon. For starters I cannot make sense of why someone would choose this venue to carry out their heinous act of violence. But to ask why someone would do this is an exercise in futility. Anyone so far gone in whatever belief system they adhere to that actually condones this kind of behavior on innocent victims is obviously irrational and therefore cannot answer a simple rational question as to why? Any answer would not make sense to a rational person and therefore useless to even pose. I can understand an act of violence against ones enemy say in a time and place of war, whatever side of the battle field you are on there are strong beliefs and both sides believe they are fighting for the side of good, usually. Add to that the fact that the combatants know the ultimate penalty for engaging in their activity may and could be death, the race participants and spectators who gathered along those streets certainly did not under any circumstance expect death to be an outcome of that day’s events.


One story that I’ve heard touched me profoundly, it was about the death of an 8 year old boy who was at the race to cheer on his father. Seeing his dad at the finish line he rushed out to him to hug him and then went back into the crowd with his mother. That was when the first bomb went off and tragically took his life. As a father and runner this hits me on so many levels it is hard to comprehend all the emotions it stirs up inside me. Sorrow for the father that lost his son, guilt because if he hadn’t run that day his son would still be alive, or if he had been 5 minutes faster or slower maybe he is still alive today. Finishing a marathon was one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever experienced; it sits firmly behind the birth of my children, my wedding day and the loss of my mother and grandfather. I could not fathom going through the extreme elation of not only finishing a marathon but finishing Boston, the Superbowl of marathons, having your son greet you and hug you at the finish line and then moments later he’s gone, ripped from this world like your heart from your chest.

I struggle sometimes with sympathy and empathy for others, it may be a byproduct of growing up in an alcoholic family or maybe it’s just how I was made but this situation, this one story pulls at my heart strings more than anything in recent memory, and there has been far too many things happen lately like this and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting and other tragedy’s. I remember when 9-11 happened, I was shocked, saddened and angry but it did not touch me the same way this has. That may be in part to being older and now a father and having a completely different view on the world and life 12 years later.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy, yesterday was a sad day for the world of running and for the world itself when events like this are becoming more and more common. Healing will come over time for most, but the scars will remain forever on some. My heart is sad today and that is really the only way I can put it.