...means training starts for the next.
After this marathon of a year that has tested my limits and emotions many times, I can proudly say I crossed the finish line with my head held high. I am sure that I learned a ton this last year, about myself and about my family and hopefully I will actually take the time to reflect on it and take the lessons to heart.
But when one race ends another immediately takes it's place.
Being a husband and father again comes with it's own challenges, such as my schedule and free time are no longer my own, I have to take into consideration the feelings of the three amazing girls in my house, Wrestling some of the control back from my wife, (including the remote). I forgot how stressful being a father is, and while it is a good stress, it is stressful none the less.
Above all though, I am grateful to God for answering all our prayers in this last year. He gave us the opportunity to be financially stable for the first time in our married lives, and he brought me home to a loving wife and daughters with nary a scratch. He remained faithful to me through some very tough times and I have not lost sight or focus of the fact that God's grace is the reason I continue to be able to come home from my deployments to my family.
I am looking forward to what is in store for my amazing family in the immediate and long term future and cant wait to experience all that God has to offer me and my family.
Oh...and I am also looking forward to lacing up some new trail shoes and putting in some serious miles...
Excuse me I have a tea date with a pretty blonde, that I am late for.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Night Running in Afghanistan
It was too hot to run yesterday afternoon, I only got 3 miles before I had to call it quits. I was pretty bummed and dejected last night, so I decided to give it a try....yep, I threw on my headlamp, grabbed a water bottle and took to my trail at night.
WOW, what fun...though it is eerily creepy running in Taliban country in the middle of the night, with only a headlamp on..and every noise made my heart jump. In the distance I could hear wild dogs howling, and getting a bit closer all the time. Maybe they saw my light, or could smell my sweat, but whatever..I wasnt too concerned as I had a chain link fence between me and the wilderness.
After 5.5 miles I decided to call it a night, it was slow going, running with a headlamp. The tunnel vision makes it difficult to run quickly and I was barely staying under a 12 minute pace...it was a good lesson for me though, and I can't wait to do another one, though I think next time will be stateside.
Oh, and here is a pic of the Change of Command ceremony from today. I am the one on the right.
WOW, what fun...though it is eerily creepy running in Taliban country in the middle of the night, with only a headlamp on..and every noise made my heart jump. In the distance I could hear wild dogs howling, and getting a bit closer all the time. Maybe they saw my light, or could smell my sweat, but whatever..I wasnt too concerned as I had a chain link fence between me and the wilderness.
After 5.5 miles I decided to call it a night, it was slow going, running with a headlamp. The tunnel vision makes it difficult to run quickly and I was barely staying under a 12 minute pace...it was a good lesson for me though, and I can't wait to do another one, though I think next time will be stateside.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Month of April, On to the Future
The month of April is in the books, and even though I had a rough week of training last week, I still managed to put up 135 miles for the month. That is the most I have ever ran in a single month....and I am proud to say that I did it all on a .2 mile section of trail. That is a lot of back and forth...lol.
May is starting out on fire!! I have had a solid week of running so far and the last month or so of strength training is starting to pay off as well, as my upper body is beginning to feel fit and firm again. I have always been one of those "Fat but Fit" types, and I am trying to get to a "no butts about it, Fit" level.
My racing calandar is pretty much finalized, and I cant wait to get started! I kick off the season on June 10th at Garden of the God's with a 10 mile run. I will be going hard, as this is my first taste of racing and I want to know where I am truly at, fitness wise. Goal: 1:12:00 or better.
July 8th is the Summer Round-up 12k, and I will be meeting up with some friends from around Colorado that day to run 12k of trails and just enjoy all that life has to offer. After that, there are a couple more trail races available, but my focus (training wise) will be completely on September and October.
My amazing daughters are coming to visit during the month of August and we may do a Mud Run together, because that just looks like fun!
September is where it is all going to happen, the 15th I have my first Triathlon: Xterra Pueblo- 1.5k swim, 14 mile mountain bike, 4 mile run. I cant begin to explain how stoked I am to finally be racing a triathlon, and the outcome of this race will help me forecast if it is something I want to focus more on in the future.
September 22nd is my biggest and furthest race of the year, the Run Rabbit Run 50 miler in Steamboat Springs. This is also the only race that I will be traveling to, as everything else is within 45 miles of home. I have no expectations for this race, other than to finish it. Sub 10hrs would be amazing, but if it takes me 14 hours, then I am good with that as well.
I then take two weeks off and return to Colorado Springs for the Xterra Marathon of Trail Races on Cheyenne Mountain. This is my goal race for the entire year, heck for the last 2 years. I am running the full marathon, with the goal of my first sub 4 hour marathon ever, and at least an age group win. Call it delusions of granduer, but everything leading up to this day is for a purpose and that is to compete and actually race this one!
To top off everything I will be running for a great charity called Global Action, who's work spreads the love of Jesus Christ to impoverished men, women and children around the world; not just by telling people they need Jesus, but by actually putting roofs over their heads, giving them an education and helping them become self sufficient members of society....our hearts are shown in our actions, as words have very little lasting meaning. I hope that all of my readers (all 4 of you) will join me in this effort to spread some love around the world. Go to www.globalaction.com for more info. (there will be a donation page and a page from me up soon)
"I will run with endurance the race set before me..." Hebrews 12:1a
May is starting out on fire!! I have had a solid week of running so far and the last month or so of strength training is starting to pay off as well, as my upper body is beginning to feel fit and firm again. I have always been one of those "Fat but Fit" types, and I am trying to get to a "no butts about it, Fit" level.
My racing calandar is pretty much finalized, and I cant wait to get started! I kick off the season on June 10th at Garden of the God's with a 10 mile run. I will be going hard, as this is my first taste of racing and I want to know where I am truly at, fitness wise. Goal: 1:12:00 or better.
July 8th is the Summer Round-up 12k, and I will be meeting up with some friends from around Colorado that day to run 12k of trails and just enjoy all that life has to offer. After that, there are a couple more trail races available, but my focus (training wise) will be completely on September and October.
My amazing daughters are coming to visit during the month of August and we may do a Mud Run together, because that just looks like fun!
September is where it is all going to happen, the 15th I have my first Triathlon: Xterra Pueblo- 1.5k swim, 14 mile mountain bike, 4 mile run. I cant begin to explain how stoked I am to finally be racing a triathlon, and the outcome of this race will help me forecast if it is something I want to focus more on in the future.
September 22nd is my biggest and furthest race of the year, the Run Rabbit Run 50 miler in Steamboat Springs. This is also the only race that I will be traveling to, as everything else is within 45 miles of home. I have no expectations for this race, other than to finish it. Sub 10hrs would be amazing, but if it takes me 14 hours, then I am good with that as well.
I then take two weeks off and return to Colorado Springs for the Xterra Marathon of Trail Races on Cheyenne Mountain. This is my goal race for the entire year, heck for the last 2 years. I am running the full marathon, with the goal of my first sub 4 hour marathon ever, and at least an age group win. Call it delusions of granduer, but everything leading up to this day is for a purpose and that is to compete and actually race this one!
To top off everything I will be running for a great charity called Global Action, who's work spreads the love of Jesus Christ to impoverished men, women and children around the world; not just by telling people they need Jesus, but by actually putting roofs over their heads, giving them an education and helping them become self sufficient members of society....our hearts are shown in our actions, as words have very little lasting meaning. I hope that all of my readers (all 4 of you) will join me in this effort to spread some love around the world. Go to www.globalaction.com for more info. (there will be a donation page and a page from me up soon)
"I will run with endurance the race set before me..." Hebrews 12:1a
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)