running, life and living the dream

Just Before the Start Mesa , Arizona - November 10 2012-Pass Mountain 50k Approaching mile 29, I was chasing a six hour finish, the trail was weaving in and out of washes and I found myself being approached by two riders on horseback.   They yielded to me so I pushed hard up the little hill were they waiting for me to pass.   As I reached the top, muscle cramps in both my calves involuntarily collapsed me to my butt.   My first instinct was to grab at my right calf, which was knotted up.   I could not flex either of my feet without pain.   The two riders looked down at me concerned, and asked if I was okay; I knew eventually the muscle cramps would pass, but for the time being I was lying on the ground embarrassed.   They stayed with me until I was able to get up and hobble off to complete the last two miles of the race. The Start of the Race: It was chilly and breezy out, thick clouds covered the mountain tops, and the sun was slowly making ...

The last few days I’ve had this hunger and desire for running I have not felt in a long time. It’s exciting and nerve racking at the same time. I have to stop the urge to sign up for every race. Financially I would go broke and physically I’d be in pain and ailing from every over use injury possible. Nonetheless, I am focused on a few races for sure. This Saturday I’m participating in the Aravaipa’s Pass Mountain 50k Endurance run. I want to run it hard and leave it all out on the trail. I have some fears of doing that, yet I have nothing to lose. All I know, I never want to DNF again. That may or may not be possible, but I hope to find the strength I had during my first 50k - in September of 2011 - in all my future races. The Noble Canyon run lived up to everything I had read and heard about ultra running. I started this blog just before I ran Noble Canyon. In all honesty, I have always had the desire to be noticed and in the lime light and alas was the wrong reason to...