Baby number 3 is due any day now. To be honest, I'm freaking out! We are very excited but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how to handle this responsibility. Time, money, energy, stress, commitments, etc. I should cut something out. Running seems like an easy choice but I've thought about this a lot and I don't think that is the right move. Running adds real value to my life. It is my therapy, meditation, church and health all wrapped up in one. I need it!
This doesn't mean that I won't have to adjust. I do have responsibilities to my family and I can't go out running every night when I get home. Homey don't play that.
My week's are made up of 3-4 runs of 5-8 miles. I can do these in the early morning. Waking up at 4 am sucks but the morning is peaceful and I feel energized for my day. After work I have time to be with the family. This is a sacrifice I am willing to make. I'll go out on the weekend for one long run and maybe grab an evening run once or twice a week. I think this can work. I'll miss the trail some of these days but if Meg will compromise for my races and long runs I can compromise with running on the streets. Who knows, maybe I'll get fast!
2014 has professional stresses that I'm not ready to talk about so I decided I need something to look forward to. I'm feeling good. My weight is down to 185. My diet is much improved. I have remained injury free for some time now. I want to run 100 miles again. Once was great but twice would prove to myself that I'm not a fluke.
There are a couple of 100 mile races that I'm interested in. Western States and Big Horn both appeal to me. The cost, travel, lottery, etc turned me away. I want to try something completely different. Last year I noticed the White Rim Trial in Canyonlands National Park. We were standing at the overlook and I saw this road. Someone referred to it as the 100 mile road. 3 years of running ultras changes your perspective a bit. 100 miles? I could run that.
I started looking into it. I couldn't find any run reports. It is a popular mountain bike ride but it seems that runners have not really gone after it. It sounds like there are a handful of runners who have completed it. This could be cool. I started talking to some people and it sounds like I have a crew and a couple of pacers. I'm hoping to get some other runners to join me. This is my goal run for 2014.
Life is going to get tough. I'm going to have to get tougher. Like training for a run of this magnitude there will be ups and downs but the journey is pretty awesome and if you keep your head up and eyes forward the goal can become a reality.
Here we go. Ready or not!
