Frustrated

I started off the year with 45 miles. The following weeks were 17 and 13 miles respectively. This weeky I'm cruising at a cool 11 miles so far. During the offseason I play basketball 2 nights a week. I don't do much speed work so this helps but it takes away from my miles. Life is busy and other things have taken some priority. I think I'll be fine if I start getting in some long runs.

It is a strange feeling. I'm happy with my the things that are taking me away from running but there is a strong pull to run that makes me a bit frustrated. I'm healthy and feeling strong. I would love to be cranking out more miles. I keep telling myself that the rest will pay off later and my base is strong.

I was hoping to finish the month with 150 miles. That would be a good place to springboard into February and March. If I can log 50 miles through the rest of the month then I won't be too far behind. I enjoy playing baskeball but I think this season may be my last until the Fall.

I'm really missing the trails. Due to family and darkness I've been running the majority of my runs out the front door. The weather has been fantastic for running this winter. I'm wearing shorts the majority of nights. Walking out for lunch has been torture. 50's and 60's with sun and I know the trails are empty. You remember that wisper coming from the Pet Semetary. It's something like that.

Daylight savings is only 46 days and counting!

Entering 2012

I started thinking about 2012 the second I crossed the finish line at Run Rabbit Run. I had just completed my first 50 mile run in extreme weather conditions. I did not know what to expect. My previous long distance was 30k. It's funny because just 3 years ago I thought that running a marathon distance was a sign of mental illness or some sort of disorder.

2012 will mark my first attempt at 100 miles. I'm not easing into it. The historic Leadville 100 is my goal. The race is run at elevations ranging from 9,200 and 12,600 feet. Leadville will challenge my grit and commitment. Hope Pass keeps me up at night. It is mid-January.

2012 has started off with its set of challenges. We were placed for adoption with a newborn boy. We are working through the stress of a legal risk adoption. If all goes well I will be the father of 2 in a couple of months. We are planning on selling our house and moving into the foothills. We are experiencing sales growth at work. I also have an aggressive race schedule planned. All these things are great but they attribute to a challenging balancing act. Like on the trail, I will experience highs and lows but I'll take it one step at a time and commit to the plan. With hard work, relentless pursuit and a little bit of luck I will cross the finish line of Leadville and be able to look back at this past year with pride.

I am very lucky to have a supportive family. My wife encourages me to follow my dreams and supports my crazy adventures. Whatever I write about on this blog would not be possible without her awesome support.

First up is the Georgia Marathon. This will be my only road race. I'm running the race with my good friend Dan Ingevaldson. He is going to drag me through the hills of ATL. He has also committed to pacing me at Leadville. It will be a good challenge to start the year.

My second race will be the Collegiate Peaks 50 miler. This is an early race run in April. I will be running this race with Tim Finnochio. Tim has been a mentor and a friendly competitor. I follow his training and try not to fall behind. He is also one of the few people who doesn't look at me like I am crazy when I talk about running. And I can talk about it a lot so this is good.

I will run the North Fork 50k for the second year in a row. This is a great race run through the the Pine National Forest. There was a wild fire there several years back and the area has a surreal landscape. The aid stations are great and it is a smaller event.

I will wrap up with Leadville. It all comes down to this.

2012 is sure to be an adventure on the trail and off!