So... I Ran 100 Kilometers... And Didn't Die...

Readers,

On June 9th I participated in the 3rd annual Eagle Up 24-Hour run in Canal Fulton, Ohio.  My goal was to finish a distance of 100 kilometers (62.1 miles.) I knew the distance was going to be tough - up to now I had finished one 50-mile run (the week before Thanksgiving) and one 40-mile run (over a year and a half ago.) Still I had trained for the distance and knew I was up to the task.

Training leading up to the event went very well - which is to say I hit lots of problems. The reason I mention this is each problem I hit during training (overheating, dehydration, electrolytes, lack of calories, pacing, etc.) was something I had to figure out before this past weekend. This run went nearly perfectly because of all of those 'mistakes' I made and the adjustments I made to correct them.

My starting clothes. I ended up using 4 different shirts...​ 

The run was designed on a 5-mile loop. The plan was as such: do 12 laps. Each lap, get to mile one. Then mile two... and so on, until I get back to the finish and start again. On lap 13, I had to get to the 100km turn-around point about a mile into the loop then come back to the start/finish to complete my 62.1 miles.

The first couple of laps went better than expected. My pace was a bit ahead of what I thought I would do and I was feeling great. My first "wall" came around mile 18. This isn't uncommon for me and it is almost like I was expecting it. I walked a bit, hydrated, and got some calories in me. That helped me break through the wall and finish lap four.

My drop bag was located just before the start/finish line. My strategy was when I was in mile four of the loop, I would do a mental checklist of what I needed to do when I got there: take salt, restock food/fuel, switch from water to tailwind (a hydration / calorie / electrolyte drink), change shirts, take a nap (kidding, not kidding. but yes, kidding) or whatever else needed to happen.

I ended up finishing the first 50k in about 7 hours and 15 minutes. While I was trying to keep pacing and times out of my head, I did picture finishing this in less than 15 hours. I also remembered that I was only half way done.

How many laps are left??? 

'Normal' running is as much mental as physical. Ultras are 90% mental and 10% in your mind. The key to finishing for me was to stick to the plan: cross the starting line, get to mile one... get to mile two... Don't think about how many miles you've done. Don't think about how many miles are left. Don't think about what time it is. Just keep moving forward.

That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the laps! I met so many amazing people during this event. The beautiful part of a lapped run is you get to see people different times. I met people from Virginia as well as Michigan. I talked to people doing their first 50k as well as their first 50 miler. I ran into people I met at ThunderBunny 50k as they were volunteering at an aid station. I got passed by runners four or more times, and each time we'd have a quick encouraging word for each other. The trail community is truly amazing.

I love this picture for so many reasons.

Passing the screen for a 10th time and seeing my name pop up with 50 miles... I did have a thought of "why keep going? I mean seriously I've been running since six am." Then I remembered a mantra that got me through my first 50 miler:

Yes I was in pain physically. Yes I was mentally exhausted. Yes I had already done so much... but whether I stopped or not I would still be in pain that night and the next morning... and I knew mentally I would be worse off since I didn't finish what I set out to do. Onward it was. Lap 11 was by far the slowest for me, taking about 85 minutes to finish the 5 mile loop. I walked most of it. I talked to many of you during it. And I finished it. I knew at that point I was going to be a 100 km finisher. Even if I had to walk the last loop + 2 miles, I would finish this thing. Luckily I didn't have to do the last loop alone.

Bree paced me (ran with me) the final 5 mile loop - pushing me to run when I was tired, and walking quickly to make sure I didn't dawdle. With her help, I finished that loop almost 4 minutes faster than the previous loop. Bree saw me through to the end of lap 12 where I went out to the turn around point, before returning to the start/finish line 16 hours and 17 minutes after I had started - hitting my B and C level goals. (My "A" goal was 15 1/2 hours.) I crossed the finish line at about 10:15 pm where I was met by Bree, Sam, and Alexa. The race director congratulated me and asked me if I wanted to keep going. I declined and gladly traded my timing chip for my finisher's medal.

As far as how I am feeling... physically I am doing way better than I thought I would be. I don't have any major issues - just some sore calves and feet, but nothing unexpected at all. I went to work today and was able to go up and down stairs pretty normally. Mentally I have still not wrapped my head around what I did. I'm not sure if I ever will.

Thank you again for all of your support throughout this adventure. Together we have raised over $700 for Nationwide Children's Hospital. It was an honor to represent you out there and I am humbled by your belief in me.

Running for the Children of Nationwide Children's Hospital

Hello friends and family,

In 2015 I ran my first marathon and dedicated it to the Hospice and Homecare of Nationwide Children's Hospital, running as a Children's Champion.

Back then 26 miles was the furthest I'd ever run.  Since then, as many of you know, I have run plenty of miles and raised money for other great organizations, but for a number of reasons none of the miles seemed to line up with the date of the Columbus Marathon.  This year is no exception.

Still, I felt the calling to help the children at Nationwide Children's Hospital.... so rather than wait until the stars align for the marathon,  I decided to dedicate another run to this great cause.

I'm writing to tell you I've decided to do something bold in June - I will be attempting my first 100 kilometer (62 mile) run.  Once again I will dedicate my run to the Hospice and Homecare program at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

I have set a goal of raising $1000 by June 10th.  These funds would go to helping the children in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Hospice and Homecare program.

100% of the funds raised will be donated to this program.  All donations are 100% tax deductible.

As always, I have included some incentive levels for your consideration:

$10 - A thank you e-mail and summary of the event.  I will also include periodic emails about my training and the crazy miles I am running.

$25 - All of the $10 incentives, plus you get to come run with me virtually! Suggest a song and I will add it to my play list. You'll be with me for that part of my run!  For those that have done this before, if you donate $25 or more, I will include all the songs you previously suggested!

$50 - A hand written thank you, you can choose 2 songs to add to my playlist, and I will send you a 4x6 photo of a memory from the event as well. Additionally, you will receive a complimentary one-month subscription to the bronze level of the Reality Bites Training Accountability group.

$62 (a dollar a mile) or more - All of the incentives above, plus you will be a naming sponsor for one of my 5-mile loops! What does this mean? I'll have 13 spaces numbered on my arms - and your name will be on one of them!

There are two easy ways to donate:

a) Click here and donate on my personal page by clicking on the orange 'donate now' button:

      My Personal Fundraising Page

b) Download this form and mail in with your donation. If you do this, please e-mail me and let me know so I can thank you as I will not get a notification:

      PDF to donate to my run

Please consider joining me as we invest in the lives of these children.

Thank you,

Michael

2017 Year In Review: Running

If I had one word to categorize and describe my 2017 year of running it would be "Believe." There were major accomplishments (my first 50 miler finish, new PRs in both my half and full marathon distances) as well as runs that... didn't go as planned.  However belief from my friends led to belief in myself.

Didn't plan on the flood during Tie Dye this year

Early in the year I was given a challenge (some would say I was called out by my Colorado bestie) to run 50 miles at once (well I didn't RUN all 50, but you get me.)  I signed up for Not Your Momma's Old School 50 miler and made it about 38ish miles before my mind said "no mas!"

That night while recovering this bestie did what any bestie coach would do.  She kicked my virtual mind in the virtual butt. She laid into me about my mental game, about leaving hours on the clock, and how she KNEW I could finish a 50-mile event.  She called me out because she knew I could answer the bell. It was why I went back at it a few weeks later at Highbanks Park.

-_-

On top of my accomplishments, I got to help others reach theirs as well.  This year I helped people run their first 5k, paced people to personal records (PRs) in 5k, 10k, and half marathon distances, and ..umm... ... encouraged... people to sign up for their first half and full marathons.

What does 2018 hold? I'll be at the Mohican 50k (dubbed Forget the PR) in April and will be pacing Erika at the Burning River 100 miler. No doubt I'll be signing up for at least the possum30k in March,  as well as some other events... maybe a 24-hour race? Who knows. I've learned nothing is off the table.

Nearly-Official 2017 Numbers: 

Total miles run in 2017: 1393 total miles (as of 12/27/17)
Total runs: 198 (as of 12/27/17)

Yes I'll hit nice round numbers there by the end of the year :)

Mostly-Official events: 

January: Winter Warmup Half Marathon
February: Frostbite 5 miler
March: Little Miami 10 miler, Washington DC Marathon
April: ORRRC Marathon (PR!!!), Let Me Run 5k
May: Salt Fork, Tie Dye 16 miler (DNF 32 miler due to weather) New Moon Quarter Marathon
June: Another Dam 50k
August: Beaver Chase Marathon, Emerald City Half Marathon (PR!!!), Darby Creek 10k
September: Night Glow Half Marathon, Air Force Half Marathon
October: Not Yo Momma's Old school (DNF'ed 50 miler) Spirit Sprint 5k,
November: Hot Chocolate 15k, Highbanks Park (solo 50 miler!), New Albany 4 miler, Left Over 5k, Hungry Turkey 5k
December: Run Santa Run 5k, The Boney Gnome Half Marathon

Getting the Monkey Off My Back.

On Saturday November 18th I decided to spend a day at my favorite Metro Park with one goal - finish a 50-mile run. I had attempted the 50-mile distance twice before, coming up short both times (finishing 41 and 38 miles, respectively.) I showed up at just past 6:30 in the morning and started off shortly there after.

The first few miles set the tone for the day - rain, thunder, and lightning. I had my headlamp, but in the downpour, it did little good. Still, I had a great water proof jacket on and enjoyed the start of the run. I passed a park ranger and I was worried that he was going to tell me to seek shelter. Instead, he just gave me a wave and I waved back as I passed. As the sun rose (or more accurately as it got lighter out) the temperature started rising and I returned to my car after about 4 miles to ditch my sweater and long pants for shorts and a t-shirt, keeping the water proof jacket.

OK - maybe more water resistant than water proof

It was also then that I realized something key - I left my bag of Gu and honey stinger waffles at home. I spent the next loop doing some math. I had three PBJ sandwiches (400 calories each), 3 protein bars (230 calories each), two Zone perfect bars (200 calories each), and two Gatorade bottles (200 calories each) in my car. I also had a bag of mini Three Musketeers and a bag of Swedish fish. All in all, this was well over 3500 calories. My goal was 150 calories at the aid (car) station and another 50-75 during each of the 4~ish mile loops. This added up to about 2500 calories. I figured things would be as fine as they could be. Besides, I’ve attempted two fifty-milers on gu and waffles and those didn’t exactly end as planned. Worse case scenario, if I really wanted (or needed) more traditional fuel, FrontRunner Worthington was a (scary) four-mile run down highway 23.

It was all of this math and thinking of contingency plans that got me through laps two and three.

There were three main loops throughout the park that I had planned: One that took me down to the observation deck via the overlook path, one that lead out to big meadows via Dripping Rock path, and one that headed to big meadows via the multi-use path. Each lap was between 4 and 6 miles long. I figured if I did each separate loop 3 times I wouldn’t repeat anything too often.

map of the park

Honestly, I felt my first 50k (31 miles) was pretty solid. My nutrition plan, though off from what I had prepped for, was right on. I had a quarter of a PBJ with some Gatorade each time I got to the car, then a quarter of a protein bar during the lap with some candy thrown in for fun. This turned into about 150-200 calories every hour-ish.

I finished the first 50k in about 7 hours and 20 minutes, just over 14-minute pace. This was nearly perfect as my goal for the first 50k was a 14:30 pace. With the time I had left before the park closed, I would need to pace at about 19:30-minute miles to finish before getting kicked out.

Things started to slow down after 50k. Miles were definitely taking longer. 15-minute pace turned into 16-minute miles. Still … I was moving forward. Mentally I was just trying to get to mile 37 in about 9 hours. That was when I would pick up a pacer… My very good friend / coach / running partner Erika was back in town and said she’d put a few miles in with me.  Mentally I just had to keep moving until she got there.

It was so amazing to have someone there to share the really crappy of the suckiest miles. She spent about 2 hours with me and made sure I got through to about mile 43. I’m so thankful for that time - it got me through the absolute worst miles and certainly helped me complete my mission. She had to leave as the rain started picking up again, and I was left with a bit more than a 10k to go.

By this point, I had been moving for 11 hours. I had 7 miles to go and could pace at 20-minute miles to finish by 7:45 pm (sunset was at 5:15 pm, the park closed at 8:00 pm.)

Not that I saw the sun at all... This was the weather for my last few miles.

The rain became a deluge for the final stretch. The temperature had dropped, and I was out of gloves. I used a spare pair of socks for my hands. At mile 47 my Garmin indicated low battery. I had prepared for this with a charging block and cable, but with the storm using this was not an option. I got back to my car at mile 48, stopped my watch, and did my last two with my phone tracking my distance. Not that I needed it - I knew the one mile out and back mark. I finished with an overall distance of 50.02 miles in 12 hours, 43 minutes, and 22 seconds, pacing overall at 15 minutes and 16 seconds per mile. This was by far the most ALL THE FEELS run I have ever done. On my feet for nearly 13 hours (earning nearly 100,000 steps along the way) was like nothing else in my history. I can think of preciously few things I have done for 13 hours straight.

The “why” of this run is a whole different post. Feel free to get in touch with me and I’ll gladly share my thoughts on that… until then time to rest, refuel and see what is in my future. I have three weeks of downtime for sure, then who knows what I’ll throw onto the schedule!

Thanks for reading.

Random Thoughts of a Runner

When you talk to most runners about their races they may talk about their goals.  For a 5-k that might be "run in less than 30 minutes" or "go the entire time without walking."  For longer distances you might hear numbers like "3 hour half marathon" or "qualify for Boston.

Just about two weeks from now I will be starting a race at 6:30 in the morning in which I have a set a goal to "finish before sunset." This is not a hyperbole, and sunset is 7:15 PM.   Most people are not comfortable talking to me about this run.  Few really even know what questions to ask about my run.  When I tell them the length of my race.  Generally the reaction I get is "I don't even like to DRIVE 50 miles!"

Why am I doing it?  Running two marathons?  Back to back?  There has to be a reason.

It's easy - run ten 5ks, then four 5-milers. 

Honestly, there are many, many reasons.  I can talk and write about many of them - health benefits, the challenge, the mental therapy, the time to reflect, the food, for all the people that can't run at all, because some day I won't be able to....  but being a teacher's blog, I'm going to keep the filter with my teaching goggles on.

When was the last time you asked a student to get out of their comfort zone?  My guess is it wasn't too long ago - maybe even today!  Each day as teachers ask our students to do dozens of things each day that challenge and scare them.  We ask them to practice skills that are difficult for them.  We make them read out loud.  We randomly assign them a partner to work with.   We give them tests on which they may or may not succeed.   And we ask them to do all of these things compliantly.

Here's the next set of questions - When was the last time you truly got out of your comfort zone? What have you done recently that challenged you?  What have you committed to that scares or intimidates you?  When was the last time you volunteered to do something you had a significant chance to be unsuccessful at?

So many teachers set goals of "get better at integrating technology" or "to incorporate reading strategies in my science class."    As a teacher pushing your students out of their comfort zone every day, shouldn't you be on the front line leading the charge?

Some have taken this challenge. Have you done it yet?

Washington D.C. Marathon Race recap

On Saturday, March 11th I completed the Washington D.C. Saint Jude Children's Hospital. This was my 3rd marathon and my 7th marathon-or-longer event. It was also the toughest road event I've attempted.

I have been training for this run for nearly 12 weeks. I put in the miles, did the speed work, ran the hills, bought the Gu. I was ready. Then I checked the weather. 12 degrees with winds of 15 miles an hour... ouch. It certainly wouldn't be the coldest race I've ever experienced, but it presented another challenge to an already challenging distance.

The day before the run I got an e-mail from the race organizers. It warned us of the cold weather and included this advice:

Manage your expectations. This may not be the race to run a PR. Slow down according to the conditions and consider switching down distances if you are not feeling prepared. 

Here is the deal: Running is an outdoor sport. There are no rain delays, no cancelled due to snow. I'm not letting 'weather' be an excuse for not hitting my goal.

Five top layers. Worked perfectly! 

The day started in my typical fashion: I got lost. Seriously. Bree was so amazing and agreed to drive me to the start line at 5:30 AM since the metro did not start up until 7 am. I programmed the start in my GPS and off we went. The only problem was that I programmed the FINISH LINE into the GPS. Luckily I realized my error and Bree was SUPER patient with me. I was dragging her all around a pre-dawn city that we'd never driven in before and she never did anything but reassure me. I am so thankful for her.

Eventually we got to the right location, she dropped me off, and I was off to the start line. I got myself ready, dropped off my bag with a change of clothes and some post-run food, and did a little light running to warm up. I also got to take a group picture with other St. Jude Heroes. The start was actually quite well done. Marathoners started at 7:00 and Half-marathoners didn't start until 8:30, which meant the start was (relatively) small.

It took me a few miles, but I managed to warm up and was feeling really good. The wind wasn't too bad and before I knew it I was at mile six: CRAZY HILL! Still, after running so many hills I knew how to approach it and felt good when I got to the top. A couple miles later I got to see Bree, Sam, and Alexa. A mile later I got to see Wendi and Jason as well! My pace through the first half of the marathon was 10:54 minutes per mile, right at my 11:00 minute pace goal.

The second half of the marathon started well. Bands were still playing, the course was smooth and fast, and the weather, while cold, was still not crazy cold or windy. There were fewer historical spaces to see, but I pressed on and crossed the 20-mile mark at a pace of 11:07 minutes per mile.

This is where things got rough. The wind really started to kick up and gusts were very noticeable. Some course volunteers said gusts were close to 30 miles per hour. Running began to be challenging, but I kept moving forward. Still the grind of 20 miles and the weather were starting to take its toll.

Then came mile 22. I had previewed the course and knew there was a bit of a climb at 22, but after four hours of running my body decided it needed a break and I had to do some considerable walking. About half way up the hill, the 5-hour pacer passed me. I forced my body to run, but couldn't keep pace with her.

 Four hours of running? Perfect time for a climb!

 I have been involved in sports nearly all my life. I can honestly say none of them have been as emotional or frustrating as distance running. You train for weeks and literally can watch your goal pass you by.

 I do so much reflecting after an event. What could I have done better? Did I give it my all? What did I miss? Here is what I know: All that training made me run my strongest road race of my life. I left nothing out there. Usually when I cross the finish line I collect my 'goodies', meet anyone that is at the finish, and hang out a bit. After this run, I crossed the line, had someone put a medal around my neck, and then sat down and couldn't move. My legs were cramping and in pain. My body was hurting badly and I was pretty emotionally devastated that I didn't finish under 5 hours.

As it turns out I did set a personal record (PR) for a marathon distance (26.2 miles), but I ended up running 26.6 miles total and crossed at 5:02:52, 40 seconds slower than the Columbus Full, but at a slightly faster overall pace.

If I did this event this time last year I would have finished in a much slower time. I would have given up running much earlier. Given the conditions there is a chance I may not have even finished. I've learned so much and look forward to busting that official 5 hour barrier in the future. I know it is in me.

Thank you to all of you for your support. I had so many people check in with me about how things were going with training and how the run went. I am so blessed to have so many people in my life that care about me.

To those of you that donated any amount to my run: I was proud to represent all of you! With your help we raised over $700 for the Children of Saint Jude.

To those of you that donated songs to my run through St. Jude Children's Hospital: I had great conversations with all of you. You will never know how much those help me get through the miles. It is funny how my player knows exactly what song to play when I need to hear it. Seriously, nobody's song came up before mile 7 (after that first climb) despite the fact I had it on random.

To my amazing family: Thank you SO MUCH for trekking all over D.C. and the metro, putting up with the stupid coldness of the day, and supporting me on my runs. This day would have been so much more difficult without you there. Sam and Alexa: your signs were great, and I LOVED seeing you on the jumbotron! Bree: you are amazing. Thank you for everything you do for me. I love you.

What's next? That's always the question. Currently I'm registered for a half-marathon in April and then two 50km (31 mile). I'm looking forward to getting back on trails! Outside of that, we'll see where the rabbit hole takes me!

Love you all,

Michael

Reflections on 2016, Part II: Running

People kept telling me that I ran a lot this year. Like a lot a lot. Upon reflecting, it is probably an accurate statement. I completed 16 different events this year: Rocks and Roots 10k, Brokeman’s Winter Warm up half marathon, Rocks and Roots 20k, Possum 30k, The ORRRC Xenia ½ marathon, Glass City Toledo Marathon, ORRRC Tie Dye 32 miler, Columbus Zoo 5k, Brokemans Wild Things 4 miler, Not Your Momma’s 50 km, Running with Scissors double marathon, Hot Chocolate 15km, New Albany 4 miler, Run Santa Run 5k, Big Foot 10 miler, and the Yeti Run.

They were all my favorite. Especially Yeti. 

Looking at that list I’m pretty much in awe - It was about 3 years ago that I ran my second half marathon and swore I would never run that distance again. It was just over a year ago I finished my first marathon. I found a picture of my 2014 bibs (EDIT: it was actually my bibs from 2013 AND 2014) on facebook and in the comments section I was ecstatic that it had four 5k bibs, a 10k bib and 2 half marathon bibs. Now I have run a marathon distance or more six different times (four of those times in 2016.)

Not Yo Momma's 50k - the most difficult 50k I've run to date.

Oddly enough I became friends with Erika in 2014. Pure coincidence I’m sure. Sidenote, Erika is running the Pistol Ultra 100 miler on New Years eve/day - so proud of her! You can read about her adventure here.

Still, the year was not ‘perfect.’ I had two did not finish results (DNF) this year: The first was at the January Rocks and Roots which was supposed to be a 20k but due to the fact I could not feel my feet (literally) after the first 10k, I chose to stop. The second was the Scissors double marathon where I “only” ran moved forward 41.1 (66km) of the 52.4 miles. You can read more about that here. 

I still gave myself a present.

However, I also fell in love with pacing this year, leading the 11 minute pace group during the Columbus Hot Chocolate 15k. It was great helping people achieve their goals since so many people had helped me achieve mine over the past year. Case in point, I ended the year with my fastest 5k ever thanks to my great friends Becky and Erika. It would have been an even faster time if I could have kept up with them past mile 2.5.

All in all I have logged over 1360 miles (about 2200 km) of running this year. For some perspective, that is about the distance from Cleveland to Denver. Looking forward, I have a number of activities and events in 2017. So far I have at least three half marathons, one full marathon, and two 50 kilometer runs on my calendar by the first week of June. Yes I said at least.

Here we go again.

A big thank you to all of my friends and family that supported me with encouragement, candy, a sarcastic comment, or all of the above. My wife and two daughters are just brilliant.  They push me, encourage me, cheer me on, and fully support me in all of this.  I truly would not be able to do this without them.

I love all of my running buddies and I'm proud of every mile we logged together! I will need all of your support, encouragement, and more in the coming weeks!

I’m looking to share many more miles and stories with all of you in 2017!

Happy Running :)

Celebrating My Failure

As most of you know, I've become a pretty avid runner.  About four months ago I signed up for a double marathon (52.4 miles.)    When I first signed up for this event, pretty much everyone asked one question: Why???? (usually with expletives.) I joked about the rabbit hole of running, the peer pressure, or just because I was bored, but the real reason was a bit different. 

As a classroom teacher I ask my students to push themselves in so many ways - they have to do work they don't want to do, set short and long term goals, attempt subjects they don't enjoy and/or are not intrinsically good at learning... basically they are forced to get out of their comfort zone. I decided making them do this without being willing to do it myself was not the message I wanted to send them. I had signed up for marathons and 50 km runs (31 miles) and completed them before. These were definitely NOT in my comfort zone, but since I had successfully completed them I felt I needed to step it up further.  So on June 30th I registered for the Run With Scissors double marathon.

Yes, you get scissors 

I started the day with a 3 am wake up call. Ironically I actually woke up a bit before my alarm -not uncommon considering how excited I was about today. I left my airbnb with a great note from my hosts Kevin and Carolyn hanging on the front door wishing me luck. Arriving at Cuyahoga National Park at about 3:40 am, I got my gear ready, set up my drop bag, and at 4 in the morning I started off on my first of two 26 mile laps. I'll spare you the mile-by-mile play by play -  the first 15 miles were great, but I was definitely feeling the distance by mile 23.  I finished lap one in about six-and-a-half hours.  

At the start/finish aid station I changed my shirt, socks, and got some food.  I wasn't feeling optimal, but I still went off for lap two. Things didn't improve much from there. Physically I felt fine - my nutrition was where it needed to be, nothing was cramping, hydration was solid... but my body was just not responding well. Come mile 30 I was walking way more than I was running. I was having serious discussions with my body: 

"OK, this part is slightly down hill and seems like a beautiful time to run!"

"Nope!"

"But it ..."

"NOPE!"

I did feel better than this guy. 

I arrived at an aid station at mile 36 and had to sit down for nearly 5 minutes. The crew there was AMAZING - they asked me questions, gave me suggestions, provided aid, and really motivated me to keep going.

After leaving that station I had to follow a five mile loop before I returned back to that same aid station. It was during this loop I realized I was not going to finish this run. I needed to average about 18 minute miles during the last half marathon of the run and I was nowhere near that, coming in closer to 22 minutes per mile. My legs just did not want to go anymore. After some really tough reflection I decided I was going to drop when I returned to the aid station. This would give me about 41 total miles.  I slowed down and really started to enjoy the run - taking pictures and admiring the sights and sounds. It took nearly 2 hours for me to get those 5 miles done.

Gorgeous scenery! 

By the time I got back to the aid station it was 3 in the afternoon and I'd been moving for 11 hours. The crew there was once again amazing. They celebrated my success as did I. They took care of me wonderfully and gave me a ride back to the start/finish line. My run was over about 11 miles short of the finish. 

My goal was to get out of my comfort zone and really push to see what my body could do. I learned that my limit for today was about 41 miles. There are dozens and dozens of possible reasons that I topped out there today. Maybe it won't be my limit next time, but that's not for me to decide now.

It is also a great reminder to all of us to celebrate successes even when goals are not reached.  Celebrate the student that gets a 55% on a quiz, a student that gets one out of ten free throws, or just the student that came to school that day.  For them, this might be their own personal success.

We're still not really talking to each other...

You did what???? WHY???

Sorry for the long break, everyone. It has been a crazy two weeks between school's term ending, my daughter's first high school semester ending, and me heading out to run my first ever ultra-marathon.

Wait. what?

What is an ultra-marathon? Didn't you just finish your first marathon a few weeks ago?  Aren't ultra marathons longer? Why would you ever do that? Do you hate your body that much?

Almost exactly one year ago I started playing with the idea of running a full marathon with the goal of raising funds for Nationwide Children's Hospital.  I had not run anything close to that distance in my life.  I ran my 2nd half marathon in May of 2013, and when I crossed the finish line, I swore I'd never run anything close to that distance again.

You can read more about that on my blog here.

So this past weekend I did what I thought was previously impossible: I finished the Huff 50k (31.5 mile) ultramarathon.  It was an amazing experience.  In fact it led to three very amazing thoughts:

It is amazing what you have left in the tank when you think it is empty. 
How often in life have you felt, "I have nothing left to give." I will say that happened more than once on this journey - during training, during long runs, and during the events themselves.  So many times I thought that I was done - then I remembered that slow progress is still progress. Walking is still moving forward. Resting is an important part of the whole picture. You have more to give.

It is amazing what you can do with a good friend by your side.
This past weekend, my friend Beth and I ran the entire 31.5 miles together.  We were both completing our first ultra, and it was great to share that experience.  I had a mini freak outs ("OMG we've been running over two-and-a-half hours and still have freaking 20 miles to go!!!) She had mini freak outs, but when we did the other was there to just keep us grooving along, sticking to the plan, putting on the illusion of loving life... and saying something that will make you laugh.  She got me through it and I got her through it.

The end of the run was one of my favorite memories, and not because "I was done."  Nearly all of our friends that had made the journey were waiting at the finish line.  Some had finished their shorter 10 mile race hours and hours before, and other finished their 50k well more than an hour or two before us.  Still others didn't even run and stayed at the park for eight hours.  Any of them could have gone back to the house, showered, eaten, slept... but they didn't.  They stayed at the park in dreadfully cold conditions just to watch us finish, and when we did their smiles and joy were so important to me.

I think this happened about mile 20.

It is amazing how many people underestimate what they are capable of doing.
Doing the unthinkable makes everything else a little easier.  How many people in your life have told you they want to accomplish something: start their own business, publish a book, run a 5k.  After you have done 'the impossible', everything else seems a bit easier.  Your perspective on 'normal' and 'possible' shifts.  Your self-confidence and determination increase. You feel what you really have in your tank.

So in about year I went from someone that could kind of finish 15 miles in a week to someone that could finish over 30 in one run.

I have to ask: As we are getting ready to ring in 2016, what impossible task will you accomplish?

You really can. Seriously.