My Active Adventures

This is NOT going to be a happy, positive post as I am not in a good mood right now.  That said, if you don't want to read about what I'm really thinking and feeling right now just go ahead and skip reading this post.  I wouldn't blame you. I hate winter, I hate cold weather, I hate not being able to breathe.  This afternoon I met up with my buddy and fellow Ultra runner Mark Hilboldt for a 14 mile run.  I met him at Quivira Park at 11:00 and it was 35* with a windchill of 26* and a 15 mph wind.  My lungs were getting tight before we even started.  The plan was to run up the Indian Creek Trail 7 miles to 151st Street then turn around and run back.  As is always the case for me in the cold, breathing very quickly became a problem for me.  Usually Mark & I chat quite a bit while we run but within the first 2 miles I was already struggling for breath as my lungs closed up so I was doing little talking.  Our pace slowed gradually as we went...

As you know, we recently lost our beloved husky Dakota Joe.  He was a great dog and we've missed him SO much.  We also know; however, that he would want us to be happy and to share our home with another wonderful husky.  He was a rescue and the group he was rescued by was shut down not too long after we got him for keeping dogs outside in cages even during storms. We suddenly understood his fear of lightning and rain.  We brought him to our home and loved him very much and it was always very clear that he was so happy to be part of our family.  I know he'd want us to share that with another dog so they could be as happy as he was.  Well, we found her.  Kristy came upon a breeder that had some husky pups that were born in mid-October (the 12th if I remember right) that would be ready to go to homes in December around the 8th. Kristy emailed them to see if any were still available and to get more info about them.  They said they had several black ...

That's right, I reached a big goal for the year!!  Last night I officially got registered with the Marathon Maniacs as Maniac #4532.  I still kind of can't believe it.  Last year as I was training for my first marathon (the Napa Valley Marathon 3/6/11) I had never even heard of this group.  I started hearing about them from people in the Good Guys vs Bad Girls Running Competition on Facebook and couldn't believe it.  The MINIMUM requirement to qualify is 3 marathons in 90 days!!  When you are working so hard for 4 months to train for your first marathon running 3 of them in just 3 months sounds impossible!  Even if it is possible, why would anyone want to do that to themselves?!?!  After fighting my way through that first one I knew I wanted to run more of them, but the Maniacs still seemed like an impossibility.  Maybe in a few years I could manage it. I had made some good friends (Ron & Bobbie Ruhs) through the Facebook competit...

Wow, it's been quite a ride the last 62 days.  I set out on a mission to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs by running the Patriots' Run 9/11, the Blue Springs 50k 10/30 and the Pilgrim Pacer Marathon on 11/12.  I struggled through Patriots' heat-fest to get the needed 27 miles, I suffered through over hydration in Blue Springs for my first 50k, so I woke up Saturday morning with just one race to go in my quest.  I'll admit I was very nervous about this one.  Before I started this attempt to qualify for the Maniacs I had only run one marathon, the Napa Valley Marathon 5/6 and I'd had a stress fracture in the spring that kept me from running for almost 8 weeks.  After struggling so bad through these last two Ultras I was wondering if I was going to do the same with the Pilgrim Pacer Marathon.  This was going to be the hilliest race of any distance I'd ever run so that wasn't making me feel any more confident.  After Blue Springs I decided I'd just struggl...

The things I've accomplished in the last year have amazed me.  On November 21, '10 I ran my first half marathon.  In less than a year since then I've run several more halfs, a full marathon, a 27 mile ultra, a 50k and next weekend will run my second full marathon.  All in less than a year.  Crazy, I never would have dreamed I could do all of that.  It hasn't come easy though, I've pushed myself very hard to do these things.  My 50k last weekend obviously took a lot out of me.  Not so much physically, my body has felt pretty good ever since the race.  Mentally and emotionally it took a toll though.  That, along with the fact that I have a marathon next weekend, has led to my lightest week running in a very long time.  So far this week I've run one time for 5 miles.  I'll run at some point today as well, but I'll probably only do about 6 or 7 miles.  That will make this my lowest mileage week this year out side of the first coupl...

I wasn't planning to write a post about this, but after posting it on Facebook I felt it deserved a more detailed review.  Today (11/1/11) is the 2 year anniversary of the day I dedicated myself to becoming a runner.  I had started the Couch To 5k plan a few times but never got very far into it and never really put my heart into it.  In late October '09 I realized that my weight was getting out of control and my fitness level was just good enough to get me from my couch to the kitchen to get more food.  It was time for a change.  I got a membership to a gym so I could start weight training, I started making healthier food decisions and seeking out information on nutrition, and I restarted the Couch To 5k plan.  This time I wasn't just starting it because people said I should.  This time it was for me, I wanted to be healthier and I wanted to become a runner.  This time it was a complete lifestyle change. What I know now that I didn't know then i...