That peaceful restless feeling

Two more days.

Two more days 'til I get to run again. Two more days 'til I put my body through hell...again.

It's strange the second time around...I know how bad it's going to hurt, but I can't wait for it. Is that sick or what?

The madness begins...Marathon this Saturday, Half-marathon next Sunday and another Marathon three weeks later. BRING IT.

Motivation - One week to go

I will be running the Marine Corps "Hard Corps Marathon" in one week. This one definitely snuck up on me.

I did some thinking during my run this morning and compared my training and preparation to my training for Arizona. While my training plan was almost identical, everything felt so much different this time around. I found myself feeling a little less motivated throughout this training. With the thrill of the unknown no longer there to motivate me, I have had to search for new means of motivation. Here is what I came up with...

1. I challenged myself to test my limits...within the next month I will run a half-marathon and two full marathons.

2. Instead of telling myself "You've never run this far before, how cool is this?!" it has turned into "You've done this before, you can do it again".

3. I have taken 4-6 mile short runs and made them more challenging, adding hills and speedwork to keep my striving toward something on the sometimes monotonous runs.

4. I have challenged others to get out there and run with me. Some of them have been beginners, others just looking to increase mileage. Their commitment motivates me.

Nothing motivates me more than knowing somebody is counting on me. Knowing that somebody believes in me gives me a great sense of confidence and I can't even imagine ever letting them down.

I'll be tapping into these motivating factors during my race next week, but i'll also be spending a solid four hours with the most motivating coach ever, Jesus Christ. When all other motivation fails and the race becomes difficult, I know my lord and savior is running right along side me, believing in me. I wont let Him down.

Let the tapering begin

FINALLY. Just as my legs were shouting, "We've had enough" and my feet were threatening to stop altogether, I have reached the tapering phase of my training program.

The last time I was training for a marathon, I hated tapering. I felt like I was wasting valuable time and miles, that I wasn't fully preparing myself. Now, I welcome the taper with open arms. Between working two jobs and having church-related commitments three nights a week, i'm having trouble finding sleep, let alone energy.

I think the tapering phase of training can be translated into life situations, too, and maybe should be more often. Our culture places a premium on being busy, working hard and never resting. The idea of tapering in training is giving your worn out body a chance to rest while it waits for the opportunity to really be put to the test. I think we need to think of our lives this way, we wear ourselves out and hardly ever take the time to rest so we are fully prepared when we have to face challenges.

My advice to you...TAPER. Taper in training, taper in work, taper in life.

Solving problems one mile at a time

My friends don't understand why I willingly wake up at 530 to go run. They get frustrated when I can't go out on a Saturday night because I have my long run the next morning. They think that what I do is crazy, while it's actually the one thing that keeps me from going crazy.

When was the last time you spent a significant amount of time alone, thinking about life? This may be a difficult question to answer for some people, but for a runner the answer is almost always, "this morning". You see, running is more than physical exercise for me. Running is my escape. Running is more than burning calories, it's about tackling life's problems. And when I have a problem too big to handle, well, that's what group runs are for.

Group runs are like therapy. While discussion can sometimes be surface-level, it is not out of the ordinary for us to tackle life's major challenges. I know that on my group runs I can expect plenty of support and encouragement, but it rarely ever has anything to do with my running.

Plenty of people ask why I run and I never know what to tell them. I say that it has changed my life, but can't explain how. One thing is for sure, though, I know i'll never stop.

--Special thanks to Kristin, Kevin, Eric and Phillip for all the "therapy".

Runner's best friend

You'll get no argument from me that dogs are man's best friend. A big part of what makes dogs our best friends is their loyalty.

Today, I discovered the runner's best friend. Here is the story...

I was leaving my house for work this morning after a great run with a group of friends. I had my hands full as I walked to the car, so when I reached my car I put my running shoes on the roof so I could empty my hands of all my stuff. Once I packed everything I had into my car, I got in and drove off.

I pulled out of my complex and drove down the hill towards work. It is important to note that I live on one of the tallest hills in Orange County and the descent that starts my commute is pretty steep. It is nearly impossible to drive under 60 mph on this road unless you ride your brakes.

I flew down the hill in almost record time. I made it about five miles down when I reached Tustin Ave and made a left turn. After the turn, I heard a honk coming from the car next to me, so I turned to see an attractive young lady in a small SUV. It surprised me, and for a moment rally flattered me until I noticed her pointing to the top of my car. My shoes were still up there.

I was shocked. I probably looked like an idiot driving all over Orange with shoes on the roof of my car. I was amazed, though, that they were still there. Exactly where I put them.

Runners spend a lot of time in their shoes. They become almost an extension of our bodies. They are normally the only thing that accompanies us on long, lonely runs. It's easy to see why we can become so attached to our shoes, so loyal to them.

Apparently after all the time I have spent with these running shoes, they've taken a liking to me too.

You know you're hooked on marathons when...

I sat at my computer this weekend with my credit card in hand while I registered for some upcoming races. It's an exciting time, but also a nervous time, as I look at my training schedule and realize I have a half-marathon and two full marathons all within a one-month period.

I came to the realization that I might be hooked on marathons. I did a little research on the runnersworld.com forums that i'm always reading and I found some intresting posts from some fellow runners. Here is how I know I am hooked on marathons:

You know you are hooked on marathons when…

You take a bath without using the hot water valve, and then you throw a bag of ice in. And you sort of enjoy it.

You consider a 12 mile long run a recovery.

You come across the finish line and say "that hurt so bad...when can we do it again?"

You base all of your vacation time on your race schedule.

You are running a marathon and planning in your head how to train for your next one.

When your friends know not to even ask if you will go out on Saturday because you are running long on Sunday.

When you have to explain to your date the real purpose of body glide when she sees it on your dresser.

When driving somewhere and your GPS tells you that you have 26.2 miles to go, you smile, laugh and think "Yea...I could run the rest of the way."

When you consider the four food groups to be gels, pasta, Gatorade and energy bars.

When your not in your office at lunch and everyone knows your running.

When the color of your pee is more important to you than the color of your outfit.

When pain really isn't an issue.

Physcial and Spiritual Rejuventaion

I woke up this morning feeling completely rejuvenated from an amazing weekend with some of my favorite people in the world.

It's amazing how a little time away to refocus can change your entire attitude about life. Having a day to spend out in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life was truly a blessing. I was able to reconnect with God in a very powerful way and came away from the experience feeling closer to Him and to those in my lifegroup than I ever had before.

As if this spiritual rejuvenation were'nt enough, I woke up this morning and decided to test out my injured foot for the first time in over a week. Success. I didn't experience any pain. I am ecstatic to get back to my running and to start training for my next race. Thank you to all of you who prayed for me! Stay tuned for more as I begin training again.