Posts

Showing posts from October, 2012

My Favorite Things For Running

Image
"The Stash" A local favorite running trail   I'm a minimal runner in many ways. Not only do I prefer minimal shoes or barefoot, but I try not to be a pack mule when I run. That means I usually run sans the technology or a ton of other gear. You won't find a big fat Garmin on my wrist and the only reason I bring my phone is in case I get lost or there's an emergency. Or if there's a big fat five foot rattlesnake in the middle of the trail that I come a couple feet from stepping on and I need to run back a couple hundred yards to facebook about it. Yeah. I did that. But I only facebooked about it because should it eat me alive (Seriously. That mother fucker looked like it had just swallowed a small deer) then people would know where to find my body. I happened to be running barefoot on the trails that day at sunset and could barely see the beast when I almost stepped on it. I don't think I've ever barefoot backpedaled so fast in my life! There are

Guns and Goals

Image
The Gun Show If you hate people who post their workouts on facebook then close your browser window now. I'm about to commit annoying facebook behavior #43 (I do it all the time) and I will NOT apologize for it. This is my hard work. Read or leave. I don't care. My recent workover: • Deadlift 5x100lbs, 3x115lbs, 1x130lbs   • ​5 rounds of: ​ - 200 meter row (this was at sprint pace) ​ - 10 deadlifts with 95lbs ​• 100 mountain climbers • ​1 minute hollow rocks Granted I was breathing hard and had to rest a few times so that I could catch my breath and keep my form from going to crap during the deadlifts, this was not a seriously challenging workover for me. Over a year ago, on the other hand, I would have either: A) forgot to add in the weight of the bar on those deadlifts and completely failed trying to lift 140 pounds for for the first rep of the first round (without warming up)...   B) passed out on number 50 of the mountain climbers and (if I woke up a

Born To Breathe

Image
Belly henna. My reminder to BREATHE. Breathing is a no brainer. You don't have to consciously think about taking in a breath and letting one out. Under normal circumstances you don't have to think about how fast, how slow, how deep or how shallow to breathe. And lucky for you, you never have to worry about forgetting to breathe because its all automated for you by your brilliant body.  Unless you're me. The freakishly inept. I caught myself holding my breath while running the other day. I was probably about 3 miles into a run when I started getting light headed. Then I had the sudden horrific realization that I was stupidly holding my breath!! Wha??? Why would I do that? I assure you , I' m not out to take revenge on my brain cells for making me think about mycotoxins in my coffee. But its not just the holding my breath part, its the WAY I breathe. When I was young I played the flute and then later on the oboe. Two instruments I can truly say I suck at. I

My Shamanic Blogging Journey

Image
My mind has been more than murky lately. If it were a pool it would be like swimming in milk. Probably slightly curdled milk.  I've lacked focus, confidence, and my ability to relax. Although the trip to Maui helped, my body and mind were still in the same confused state when I returned. So when I opened my email up the other day and saw a message about a Shamanic Journey Circle (don't judge) I was both intrigued and curious. What the hell is a Shamanic Journey Circle anyway??? And then I saw the line... "Experience the vibrations of the drum as you sink into a field of all possibilities..." Did someone say drum? I'm in. I don't know what it is about drums, but I'm magnetically drawn to them. In fact, when I was younger I wanted to be a Taiko drummer which I suppose is more martial art than drum. Except for the fact that I couldn't hold a rhythm to save my life (and maybe the fact that the drum would be twice my size) I probably woul

One Small Risk at a Time

Image
I took a risk today. It was kinda my metaphor for this looming 100 miler I need to sign up for. I did it because I'm damn sure I'll be signing up before December and the risk I took today was small in comparison. It was small but big at the same time. This risk told me I was ready to try. I'm ready to try and succeed, but I'm also ready to try and fail too. That feels good because either way I sorta win. Just having guts enough to register, prepare and train for this race is me succeeding. I'll be succeeding at attempting to do something that only a year ago I would have completely written off as fantasy. An unattainable, futuristic, laughable and downright crazy pipe dream. One hundred miles. On MY legs. With MY feet. Hahahaha! But I'm not laughing. I'm near tears every day now with my workovers. Not because I'm sad, but because I'm on the verge of doing something epic and I don't want to fuck it up. So what was the risk I took? My gy

From The Perspective of Fear

Image
I suppose it's a bad omen when you wake up in the morning and hardly notice that you've put your panties on backwards. Who does that? Um. I did. Yup. I'm still adjusting to being back on the mainland I guess. My track workout this morning sucked. I totally felt off the moment I woke up this morning. Must have been the panties. Uggh. Lucky for me my training schedule happened to be de-load week last week. Usually every fourth week I do workovers at less intensity. Except for a soft sand 1 mile beach run I didn't do much at all besides sit on the beach, snorkel and drink cocktails (I now make a killer POG Runner by the way). How's that for de-loading?  I'm sure that's NOT what Seth had programmed for me, but hey... I was in Maui. Cut me some slack, Jack. Now that I'm back home I'm back to work, my workovers and my 100 miler research. But, I would be lying if I told you I wasn't procrastinating on registering for the "big one.&qu