beyond the marathon

it's all about managing pain... how much pain you can manage. not running as hard as you can until you must stop and face the rigor mortis. but rather, running slowly until that pain which at the start was unnoticeable becomes a searingly howling rage in the muscles begging you to stop. the goal in training is to get used to feeling like crap all the time.

celebrating the pressure

when I am running i can think so clearly. often times I find myself trying to remember like 5 different things to do when I get back. often times its a bit of inspiration I want to write down. I try and come up with shortcuts so I don't have to keep repeating them in my head throughout my run. always celebrate good decisions. poor choices come from negative thinking. instead of feeling sorry for yourself when you turn off the tv at 10 and go to bed, celebrate the fact that you are going to feel amazing the next day. always look forward and think positively. the grueling work you put in will become a joy rather then a burden. fight the power take the power loose the power when a weight trainer wants to lift a poundage he has never been able to, he must lift lower weights repetitively until his muscles build up enough to handle it. at some point he must go and attempt that heavy weight. but the more he has built up ahead of time the less risk he has of hurting himself. while it is good to have others rooting for you and holding high expectations of you... don't let the pressure of running races ruin it for you. remember that it's always an adventure. one in which there is just you and nature. the challenge is your own. do not imagine other people even care about your running because then you will just be doing it to finish for them. maintain a sense of novelty about the adventure of going on a journey, starting at your doorstep.

Keep ur dreams in the sky and ur feet on the ground

I have this great feeling of peace about racing. i am confident that while i try and push the boundaries of my ability i am not going out irresponsibly. I dont have a long history of successes to live up to. I respect the distance and i still love the trail more then the race. I hope that as i continue to improve i will not loose this perspective which keeps me close to the ground.


- Posted from the Road

Location:Leona Valley, CA night before marathon

The Gates of Something Greater then Yourself

When i see the sky bridge from down below I see a piece of architecture that makes one man appear insignificant. And yet it was men that strove to cross the divide and thus built a magnificent structure to allow paasage. Running underneath it reminds me of what is so great about lifting yourself to accomplish something you are only capable of on that day. To finish a marathon, to win a 50k. These efforts symbolize an achievement above your ability. A mark that lasts for a moment. then you have to continue embarking on other journeys that lead to new ground. And that is why everytime i run beneath the sky bridges i pray, 'to pass through gates of something greater then myself.'


- Posted from the Road