The Running Community

Imagine a community of people who are always positive and supportive of each other. A group of people who accepts anyone no matter how they look or where they come from. This group I just described is the running community. Since the day that I stood at the starting line of my first race, this community has made a major positive impact on my life. The energy that you feed off your fellow runners and the spectators is incredible and powerful. And each time I crossed that finish line, I felt like a rock star! This feeling is what got me hooked on running in races. I remember standing at the starting line for the first time and being nervous and it was pretty obvious from the look on my face. But the guy standing next to me patted me on the shoulder and told me that feeling nervous was normal and to just enjoy the race. "Just soak it all in and enjoy the experience" he said with a smile on his face. I nodded and the countdown to the start began. We took off and before I knew it the race was over. It all felt surreal and my adrenaline was still pumping. I wanted to do it all again! I could not find that guy who helped calm me to thank him for his reassurance. But he definitely made a difference. I also remember one time during a half marathon, I was passing by runners that were far behind me in the race. And yet each runner I passed by was giving me a thumbs up and cheering me on. The support at every race was unbelievable. And its not only at the races that runners show support and provide motivation. Through social networks and during my training runs here in my hometown, runners are not shy to cheer you on or pay you a compliment. Many runners I pass by on the sidewalks or streets of my hometown either will give a thumbs up or say "great job." It really is a great experience being apart of this community. And I have yet to see or hear anything negative from anyone in the runners community. It really feels like a family more than anything. I find myself cheering on runners as they cross the finish line after I have already finished the race. The positive vibe is contagious and you just want to share it with everyone else! The way I see it, we may not be on a official team, but from the moment that we stand at that starting line and during the race, we all share one common goal, crossing that finish line! And that makes us a team!

Adventure Waits

Running a race is an exciting experience! The hard work and preparation that goes into it just makes it that much more enjoyable. I am always looking forward to my next race because of the experience and challenge it offers. But its the time between races that is enjoyable as well. During my training runs, I make it a point to change up my routes and go into unfamiliar territory. This keeps things fresh in my mind so that I do not get burned out of the same scenery over and over. I have discovered so many new and beautiful places because of running. Places that I normally would not go to. I have discovered neighborhoods tucked away from the main highways, trails that run next to beautiful lakes, and areas of downtown that I would not see if I was just driving around. One day I took a small trail that ran behind a neighborhood that I had recently discovered and it led me to a scenic wooded area! I also found a trail that followed the Red River here in my town. There are so many things that you may be missing by not getting out there on foot and exploring your world. Change your routes up and take a different path every now and then. It will make your training runs more enjoyable and you can focus on the new scenery around you and less on the hard work you are putting in. Once, I lost track of the amount of miles I had run due to a different route I took and ended up at 12 miles before I knew it! You will find yourself looking forward to your runs even more when you change things up. Running is not just for training, its also for exploring your world. An adventure waits for you out there, go out and enjoy it!

New Goals To Achieve

The last 4 months have brought me both memories and challenges. In December I tackled my first half marathon and then a month and half later, I took on my second half. A week later I joined up with 5 other runners and conquered a 126 mile ultramarathon. And then 3 weeks after that, I ran in my first marathon. A 10k followed that 6 days later. So, in a nutshell, I have been pretty busy for the last 4 months. But now its time to look toward the future and set out to accomplish new personal goals. One of these goals is to set new personal records in races. Some runners count their personal records they set in training and others only count the ones they set in races. I am one of those who counts the current personal records I have in races. My current personal records are as follows.

5k - 20:50 (October 2014)

10k - 42:35 (March 2015)

13.1 - 01:33 (December 2014)

26.2 - 03:55 (March 2015)

Now some of these records (such as the 5k) have been broken during my training runs. But as I stated before, I only count the official race times. My first goal is to run another 5k and officially set a new best time. That 5k will be May 9th. I know for sure my next half marathon is going to be in December as I recently got a free entry to one close to me locally. My next 10k will be sometime in November but there may be another sooner if I can find one before then. I would like to find another marathon to run sometime during the summer and focus on bringing my current time down. When I ran my first marathon, I was not as prepared as I could have been, But I do not regret anything at all. I knew the first one was going to be a learning experience for me and I wanted to get it under my belt. As far as my current training is going, I am building back up from the first marathon. My mileage is slowly building back up and my speed is increasing day by day. I wont be focusing too much on placement in these races, the main focus of my current goals is to be better than I was before. I am my own competition and that is the way it should always be. I look forward to what the future holds and can not wait to return to that starting line!

Rise With The Sun

Recently I made a change to my running schedule so that I could have more time to cross train later in the day. I usually would go for my morning runs around 9 am or 10 am depending on the day of the week. But now I have changed that time frame to 6:30-7:00 am. Not only did I create more time in the day for me to go to the gym, but I also got another bonus out of this time change. It allowed me to watch the sunrise during my runs which is something you can really take in when you are outside running and you have the streets to yourself. If you are not a morning runner due to your schedule, I highly recommend that you take at least one day out of your week to make it a point to run right before sunrise. Running has allowed to reconnect with nature and the outside environment. I feel more alive when I am outside and it just feels more natural. Also, with summer fast approaching, it is the perfect time to beat the higher temps in the daytime. I will admit, I have come a long way from who I was years ago. And I am not just talking about physically either. I was not a morning person at all and hated getting out of bed. But since I found my love for running, I find myself looking forward to the mornings and beginning the day. I could really go on and on about how running has changed me life, but we can save that for future blog entries. But back to the main subject of this entry. As I stated before, if your schedule does not allow you to experience a beautiful sunrise during your run, at least use a day off from work and other commitments and get out there before the sun comes up. It really is a great feeling knowing that you are starting to conquer the day before the day has even started!

Pardon The Mess

There are many benefits to going out for a run. One of them is clearing your mind. This is why you hear many people call running their own personal therapy. I have to agree with this whole heartily. When you are outside and its just you and the open road, you have plenty of time to think. This has helped me put things into perspective and look at things from a different point of view. All the stresses of the day melt away and all the jumbled thoughts get pieced together. When things become clear, creativity and inspiration flow. I feel like a whole new person after a run and I love the mood it puts me in. Before I picked up on running, I did not know how to handle all these thoughts in my mind and stress I was feeling. It was a mess up there and nothing I did helped to clean it up. But once I started pounding the pavement, that all changed. I was a better man all around. I could not help but be happy and it was contagious. I feel as though I am also a better husband as well. As a matter of fact, running is the reason why I started this blog. I can sit here and put my thoughts into words because my mind is clear and not cluttered. And you do not have to be the type of person who runs everyday either to get these benefits. If you get out 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day, you will feel a difference! It can be outside, on the treadmill, or even on the elliptical. As a matter of fact, I started on the elliptical before I went running outside on the pavement. It is definitely freeing and will make positive changes to you mentally. Life can make your mind a mess, but running will clear it up!

Unmeasured Determination

What does the word determination mean to you? Perhaps its doing whatever it takes to achieve a goal no matter what stands in your way. Maybe its tackling a daunting task in which it seems like there is nothing but endless obstacles in front of you, and yet you do not back down. Determination has got me through some of the toughest things in life. I wanted to achieve something so bad that it did not matter how much work I had to put in or how much it was going to hurt. Pain itself could not stop me, no matter how much agony I was in. My most recent experience in which pure determination kept me going was my first marathon. My muscles were giving out, my energy was zapping away, and each time I tried to breath I felt pain in my sides. But I was going to cross that finish line no matter what it took. And I did. But I was also motivated by a story I had read in Runners World 3 weeks earlier. Hyvon Ngetich was running in the Austin marathon and was leading the way until her body just gave out on her 50 meters away from the finish line. She literally fell to the ground and could no longer run or stand. But this did not stop her. She began to crawl to the finish line, having to stop more than once because she was so depleted. But she crossed the finish line unassisted. Now that is determination! Even after her body had failed her, she continued forward and would not be denied that finish! That is what determination means to me. When the odds are stacked against you, keep moving forward. Do not be denied what goal or dream you are running after. You are going to have to deal with setbacks, obstacles, and odds that may seem impossible to overcome. But if you want it bad enough, you can achieve it! 

                                          Hyvon Ngetich crosses the finish line at the 
                                                                   Austin marathon


You can find the article about Hyvon Ngetich in Runners World here

Taking a Chance

We are dreamers. What makes me say that? Because I am sure at least once in your life you thought about doing something to better yourself. Whether it was health, financial, or career related, we all want to do better for ourselves. But what is stopping you? I had to ask myself this same question once before. I had changed my life for the better. I had lost a lot of weight and was getting in great shape. But yet I still wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to run in a race and put all my hard work I had put in at the gym to the test. Was I intimated by this idea? Yes I was. I had already ran a 5k and did so much better than I thought I was going to do. But this was a half marathon I was considering. It was 10 miles longer than my last race and the most miles I had put in during a single run was 8 at this point. I heard somewhere before that the main reason why people do not try something is because of the fear of failure. I did not want to fail. So, I changed my thinking. I asked myself "Would you rather try and possibly fail? Or not try at all and wonder what could have been?' I would rather try and give myself the chance I deserved. So I trained harder and ran longer. I put myself through uncharted territory and pushed myself past my comfort zone. The half marathon creeped up fast on me. Before I knew it, the day was here. Not only did I do so much better than I gave myself credit for, but I placed in the top 10 overall and took second in my age group! Because of this half marathon, my confidence grew a lot and I was hooked on racing. It only took me a month and I was already registered for my second half marathon. So whats my point? My point is that you just have to take that leap even if scares you. Even if you have your own self doubts or are unsure what the outcome may be. Will you fail? Well, you might, then again, you might not. But even if you do, you took that chance. And you can learn from your downfalls. You can use them to build yourself back up and come back with a different game plan. So if you are debating on taking a chance on something, ask yourself this. Would you rather regret taking a chance on yourself, or regret not taking a chance at all and wondering what could have been?

The Red River Run

This past Saturday I ran my first 10k race. This race was 6 days removed from my first marathon. I felt recovered enough to do it and I really did not want this opportunity to pass me by. This was the first local race I had run in a while. The race was set to start at 3 pm and this was going to be my first afternoon race as well. I arrived an hour early and was getting anxious to line up at the starting line. This race was in its 17th year and attendance had doubled since the previous year. We lined up and the countdown began. The race director shouted go and off I took! My goal was to keep up with the runners in front as long as I could. I stayed with the guy in second place for the first three miles and then the fatigue began to slow my pace. I got to mile four and now I was not concerned with what place I was in, the goal now was to keep my speed up and not let the fatigue slow me down. I was moving as fast as possible and that voice in my head was screaming for me to stop. But I was determined to keep going and I was keeping the runners in front in view. Then came the hill during mile five. I was not going to let this incline slow me down. When I got to the hill, I started pushing myself so the hill would not slow me down. At last it was mile 6 and I could see the finish line. Another runner and I were neck and neck now and we started sprinting toward the finish. The other runner began to take the lead and before I knew it, we crossed the finish line! My time was a little over 42 minutes and I came in seventh place overall. After the race had concluded, the final results were posted. I ended up taking first place in my age group! I was proud of myself! The post race festivities were awesome! Great food and great music! I found myself wanting to do it all again! This was a small town race, but it had a big town feel! A day later, I was looking in the local newspaper to see if they had a story about the race, I opened up to the sports section and there on the front page was a picture of the runners taking off from the starting line. And I was in it! Overall the entire week was great! A marathon on Sunday and a 10k on Saturday. What a great experience!

The Constant Battle

If you were to ask me what is one of the hardest things about running, I would tell you its the constant battle of fatigue. Fatigue can make us or break us. Its when the fatigue sets in that the real battle in our mind begins. Sure the physical fatigue is tough, but it is what it does to you mentally is what is tougher. That little voice in your head tells you to slow down or stop. It makes you want to question yourself. Why are you doing this? Why do you keep going? Will slowing down or stopping really hurt you? It comes to a point where you just have to ignore that voice in your head and carry on. Because its when the fatigue gets so bad and still decide to keep going that we begin to grow stronger! We grow both physically and mentally stronger than we were before. We tap into our true potential and do things we did not think we could possibly do! Do not let that voice in your head lie to you. Do not let it slow you down or stop you! You are capable of so much more than your mind gives you credit for! Strive to win the battle every day and you will do great things!

First marathon is in the books!

Well its official! My first Marathon is in the books! I could not have asked for a better race. The event was organized very well and the race volunteers and the community of Lafayette was very supportive! I shared this amazing experience with my fellow Team Infinite Force member Autumn, who ran the half marathon and did an great job! The race began at 7 am sharp. The first few miles were nice and smooth and I made it a point to take it easy and not start off fast. By mile 7 I was still staying with much of the half marathoners in front and started to slow myself down to conserve energy. Before I knew, the first loop was coming to an end. It was mile 13 and I started to feel my body begin to fatigue. I started to take advantage of almost every aid station to make sure I stayed Hydrated. I also grabbed some Guu and bananas as I continued forward. By mile 19 I was in bad shape. My calf muscles were cramping up on me and my legs tried to give out on me a few times. I almost face planted at one time, but luckily, I caught myself by the tips of my toes. The last six miles were like a dream to me. I kept moving and it seemed like the last few miles were slowly creeping by. But before I knew it, I saw the marker that said mile 25! I was almost there! I pushed myself to tackle this last mile and used whatever energy I had left that I had conserved. At last, I saw the finish line! I winced in pain and felt like I was running with a limp, but I got one last dose of adrenaline and ran to the finish line with everything I had! I was finished! I could not believe it! I had finished a marathon! After the race, we headed over to the post race party and grabbed some free food. Even after I got home later that night, I had to look at my medal and remind myself that this was real! I enjoyed this experience and it challenged me in ways that I was not prepared for. But I arose to the occasion and finished strong! Now I look toward the future to the next one...