running, life and living the dream

Zane Grey number four is in the books. It hurt as much as I remember.  I also puked as much as the previous year. At least this year I was able to keep moving and was not laid out on the side of the tail for passerby to see and think, DAMN POOR GUY. Run, walk and puke.  Well it was more like run, walk and dry heave.  At some point I had nothing left to spew.  This was the last 16 miles or so. I am beginning to think it's elevation sickness that is getting me at this race. Either way I knowthis is one hard ass race.   I felt confident in my fueling and hydration.  However, I did start out faster then I planned. Truth is I felt good and did feel as though I was not laboring. Heck I consistently took video the first 25 miles. I did it to capture this awesome trail and race.  I also did it to help slow me down and relax my mind. I wanted to feel like I was just enjoying a run in the woods.  I am still amazed at all the diversity ...

About to head into my fourth Zane Grey, was nice to be bouncing off the walls again, been a while since I've been excited about a race like this. Kid like energy. Crown King was a great experience and it definitely gave me confidence moving forward. I just didn't know how to follow up, my hundred mile finish, at Across the Years. It was such a great performance / accomplishment and i'm afraid I'll never be able to top that.  I guess I've been like that my whole life, a worry wort. Believe me I may look confident, I do work hard, but I get nervous and insecure about things.  For as long as I can remember I've never felt good enough. It's in my own mind, a character flaw, because I know that I continually accomplish things and inspire people. I love to get emails/text or even post of people telling me how inspired them. I want to continue that.  As I sit here, eating breakfast,  ready to leave to Pine AZ I just want to remind myself to be grateful for a...

Running into the fish hatchery, My wife directing me to my gear.  Or was she telling me to finish my laundry? Normally I'm dying with anticipation to get a blog out soon as a race or big run is over, but I have been so mentally and physically exhausted; finishing the Zane Grey 50 miler this year was a dream come true.   I had obsessed about this race since 2012 the first time I witnessed it first hand while crewing for my good friends, Tim and Giles.   I registered for 2013 race as soon as registration opened.  Unfortunately a few weekends before the race, tragedy hit my family, as my father-in-law suffered a massive heart attack.  He was taking off life support and was buried on the day of the 2013 race.  I vowed to run the 2014 race in his honor.  I DNF'd that race, I made a huge mistake of underestimating warnings of a huge storm, causing the race to be cut short at mile 33. That day my race ended at mile 18, Washington Park. ...