Start me up.

Bandera is not a bad way to lead off the 2012 race season.  Starting more than forty minutes after the official beginning of the race (we were running late), my actual finish time was 6 hours, 48 minutes, 55 seconds.  Other than some residual soreness and a couple silver dollar blisters on the inside of both heels, I feel pretty good.

Next up... 50 miles in Huntsville.

New beginnings.

New daughter.
New parents.
New big brother.
New running goals.
New work challenges.
New strengths.
New faults.

2012 begins not with a bang, not with a whimper, but with a slow, deep inhalation of all that is to come.  Vaya con Dios.

Putting it out there.

It's been a fairly mundane year on the endurance front. 

I only managed two ultra-distance events (pacing the Cowtown 50K and a DNF after 30 miles at Cactus Rose) and one century ride (Shiner G.A.S.P.). 

Everything else was, for lack of a better word, blah.  It's like I had a year long case of the Mondays. 

And now it's December, and my mileage total is the lowest it's been in years. 

So... screw it.  Time to buck up, as a misguided high school friend once said to a fellow student who was dating the friend's ex-girlfriend.  (Good times for those out there who recall that post-graduation party.) 

In any event, here it is.

There are 24 days until the end of the year.
I need to run 180 miles between now and then to log 1,000 miles on foot for 2011.
That's an average of 7.5 miles a day for the next three and a half weeks.

I.I.T.S.

Falling back into the early morning run.

The hour saved last Sunday is an hour gained for the morning run. Somehow it's easier to get out the door knowing the sun will be up sooner rather than later.

Of course, the dramatic descent of sudden darkness at 6 pm certainly affects the post-work activities.

Everything is a trade off in life.

Bandera bust.

Fighting a nasty head cold up and down the rock-ridden, dusty trails didn't make for an ideal run through Bandera.  30 miles and I was done.  But at least the scenery was adequate.

Undertrained and unhealthy.

Sick.  Nasty, snotty, congested, achy.  Sick.  This is not how I wanted to lead into Cactus Rose.  Saturday's 50 mile trek through a race "where everything Stings, Scratches, or Bites" is going to be a beast. According to the race website, "the course is a 25 mi loop that we have made every attempt to avoid what is flat and to find what is nasty."  Oh, and keep in  mind that "there are NO volunteers at ANY aid stations and we do NOT provide ANY food. Just water and ice."  Sound fun?

Reward Yourself Frequently.

Week two of the "Fasetest and Most Foolish Way to Train for Fifty Miles" went off without any unexpected hitches. Despite a good 18 mile run last week, I wasn't exactly overly confident in my abilities to gut out 24 miles Sunday morning. It was a slow, humid slog fest but I banked the mileage I needed. Jballs joined me for about 22 of the 24 miles. As we neared mile 20, packs empty and completely out of fuel, the thought of a Double-Double Animal Style was all that kept us going.

It was a nice way to end the run.

How (Not) to Train for a 50 Mile Run.

Perhaps the comfortable sixty degree breeze blowing through my hair Wednesday morning is to blame.  Or maybe it's simply another instance of foolish impulsivity. 

Whatever the reason, I signed up yesterday to run 50 miles in Bandera, Texas as part of the Cactus Rose event. 

Let's take a look at the course map, shall we?

Am I prepared to subject my body to the relentless climbs and descents that plague this evil, evil course?

Absolutely not.

Do I have the time to get myself ready for the inevitable rocks, cacti, creek beds, and cuts?

Not in the slightest.

But that's okay.  I've got 7 weeks to get it in gear.

In addition to the shorter weekday runs, here's the plan for the long stuff.

18 miles this weekend.
24 miles next weekend.
30 miles the following weekend.
34 miles after that.
30 miles to start the taper.
20 miles 2 weeks out.
10 miles the week before the race.

And then the big 5-0 in Bandera.

Nothing to it, right?  After all, this is a race that prides itself on giving bonus points for "blood, cuts, scrapes, & puke."

Should be right up my alley.

100+ Degrees = No Motivation

I got 99 problems and the heat is all of them... and then some.

Father/Son Morning Run

Who's on first?

Knocked out 100 miles last month for the first time in a long time.  Finally starting to get my running mojo back.

And last night, Ezra and I joined Jeff at the Ballpark for Ezra's first Texas Rangers baseball game.