Monthly Archives: July 2019

Not Running and what I’m learning

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Some honest facts about my time off from running.

Some background to my time off. Feb 2, 2019, I went to the Uwharrie Mountains to get in some training miles and to chase some vertical in preparation for my return to Leadville Aug 2019. Uwharrie is a great place to run but the trails do offer some rocky foot placements. About 1.5 miles into a beautiful Saturday morning with a 20-mile adventure planned I caught my foot on an unseen rock. The next thing I knew I was on the ground and my left leg making an impact with the jagged edge of a rock. My knee caught the rock where your patella tendon mounts to the shin bone. After seeing stars and figuring out that nothing was terminal, I noted how much that impact hurt. After a few painful moments, I was able to get back on my feet and continued on. 18.5 miles later my knee was bloody and sore knee but I figured I was no worse for wear.

Fast forward…through two marathons (Wrightsville Beach in March and Cleveland in May), and a 101.25-mile effort during a 24-hour race (VA 24-hour ultra run against cancer in April) I had been fighting off all sorts of injuries (knee pain, sciatica, and some tendonitis in my right foot). In June I finally had enough. Running had become so painful that I knew I had to take some time away. I shut it down on the 20th of June in hopes of resetting my body and starting a fall race calendar.

Worst of it all, I had to defer my Leadville entry. Mentally it was crushing, depressing and confidence breaking. It felt like I had failed at Leadville all over again.

I’ll be honest, although I continue to workout, riding the stationary bike five days a week, copying my run training, I’m learning a lot about life and myself but I feel I’m also losing ground.

Life, in fact, does continue. As much as I miss my daily miles…the sun still comes up, the birds still sing and the days are still filled with good times.

My butt may not have been made for biking….ha ha ha but is any butt really made for those seats?

Truthfully, I’ve enjoyed my newfound “weekend” hours to embrace my other passions.

Check out my custom medal/buckle display http://brihttp://briansrunningadventures.com/ultra-wood-designs/

I still feel connected to the running community, but I fear its slipping.

I embrace the victories of friends as they continue on the running path.

Thursday (1 Aug) will mark six weeks…the longest I have been off from running in 19 years.

I wonder if…..

Wish me luck to make it until the end of Aug, my self imposed hiatus.

Run if you can…it’s inspiring the rest of us (ME).

Running your first race or your next one

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How to ensure your first race is a successful one!

It’s a benchmark and a rite of passage for every runner.  Almost as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, if you started running you’ll run a race.  Even if you started running purely for fitness or weight loss alone, you eventually sign up for a race whether it’s by your own motivation or peer pressure.  Surely I say unto you….sooner or later you’ll enter a race.

My thrid race but the first that I have a finishing picture
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So how can you ensure a successful result.

#1  Win the day.  Notice I did not say win the race. Truth is few of us will ever be fast enough or gifted enough to break the ribbon at the finish line, but all of us can win the day. 

#2  Say hi to another runner, smile, wave and embrace the people around you.

#3  High five the kids along the route, soak in their energy.

#4  Thank a volunteer who gave of their time to support your endeavor.  Soak in the realization that each one of them wants to see you succeed.

#5  Believe in you. Their is no more powerful force.

#6  Have a clear goal within the race.  Whether it be a certain time result or simply running the hills, have a goal within the race that you can celebrate.

#7  Enjoy the views.  Most races take you to new parts of a city, town or trail.  Enjoy the views, get lost among the new surroundings, take in the mystery of a new course.

#8  View success on your own scale.  Do not judge your results compared to others.  At the end of the day, it’s your race.

#9  Remember there will be hard times…accept it and take it on.

#10  Live in the victory of finishing what you set out to do.

There is nothing like your first race and or your next race.  You can ensure it’s a success by understanding you can do anything you “believe” you can.