A New Beginning

I've decided to start blogging again about running.  I thought about the fact there are a lot of people blogging and I probably don't have anything unique to say about running.  However, it did occur to me that I turned 50 in December 2012 and I have just about decided that I will run my first 100 beginning on December 7 at the Cajun Coyote 100.  Coincidentally, I turn 51 on December 8.  And it is coincidence, since this is the closest 100 I can find to run and also the easiest terrain.  Sure I would love to run Pinhoti and I plan to in the future. But I feel that's too big a challenge at this point--100 miles and lots of climbing.

While I may not have anything especially unique to say, I find myself in an endeavor that I suppose not many people undertake at my age--running a 100 mile race for the first time at age 50.  So I'm going to document as best I can my thoughts, feelings, and experiences as I train.  If nothing else, I want to leave some record of this for my son Thomas to be able to look back upon one day when he gets to the age where he is trying to figure out what his Dad was all about or to maybe find some inspiration or motivation in his own quest.

Currently, I am taking a break until April from training after finishing the Mississippi 50 Trail Run on March 2, 2013.  This was my second year to run it.  Last year, I don't think I really took much of a break because I was already thinking about Big Butts.  That was a mistake because I got sick with a respiratory infection that I couldn't completely shake until September or October.

This year during the month of March, I'm only running some on the weekends when I have to pace and to run trails with my friends JB, KR (aka Howlin' Wolf) and, hopefully, HW (aka Cuatro).  I am also adding some weight training and strength training.  I've been using the machines at the Deville Plaza YMCA.  I'm using the leg press machine, the leg extension machine, the leg curl machine, and a resistance band to develop lateral leg strenght for stability.  Also, as a result of hearing a Dr. Phil Maffetone podcast interview on Trail Runner Nation, I have begun using my 20 lb. dumbells to do deadlifts, curls, and presses.  I do a couple of sets in the morning, a few more sets, if I go home for lunch, and a couple of sets in the evening.  The point is not really to lift to muscle failure, but to simply lift some weight.  I have also begun Coach Jay Johnson's Myrtl Routine a few times each week.  I probably need to do it every time I run.  Finally, I have added what seems to be a great series of vertical core exercises from Andy Dubois at www.mile27.com.au.  I'm doing these four times a week.

For now the object of my training is to start building some more strength and get used to strength training before I start back on my regular running schedule at the beginning of April.  I'll also be training with JB for the Big Butts 100k.  This will be JB's first ultra and I've tried to come up with a training schedule for her that will build on the good base that she has and up her mileage sufficiently to finish Big Butts.  This is certainly a challenge because of the 14 hour cut-off and the Mississippi heat at the end of July.  We can do it though, provided we avoid injury and put in the training.