I’ve been trying to run and to keep myself in shape for roughly 10 years now. You know, slowing the hands of time and all that and its pretty obvious to me that I’m getting older. I can go through all my times in my tracking software and can see the times getting slower and slower the older I get even though i was never all that fast to begin with and it still hurts just as bad as it did a decade ago (and stays hurting a lot longer afterward). A couple months ago on my 40th birthday I made the bold proclamation that I was going to run my first marathon and then my first 50k right after that a month later. Well in the several months since I’ve been diligent about my training, working out 6 days week and it’s just gotten to the point where I’ve got to be realistic about things. I just don’t have the time or energy to do the training that it takes to do an ultramarathon at this point in my life. Early in the process it was ok, I could fit it all in but as time went on it became harder and harder to get those longer runs and workouts in and still keep up with taking care of the other things that I had to do. When I was single and had no littles to take care of it wasn’t a big deal to go out and get that run in at 2 in the morning when it was cooler outside. Can’t do that anymore though because now I’ve got a baby shrieking every morning so someone comes and get him out of his crib and another that demands first and second breakfast like a hobbit every morning and work on the days when I’m not doing that. No sleeping in until noon for this daddy like the old days. Plus, I don’t like that those long long workouts take away from doing the things that are important to me like being with my family.
So yea, shitcan the ultra. I’ll just stick with the shorter stuff because I can fit that into my life at this point. Plus, it’s actually more fun anyway. I did a Warrior Dash last weekend that was a blast. I’ve signed up for a nighttime 5k in a couple weeks and Jessica, Alexander and I are going to do a mud run in Lincoln next month. Jessica and X are doing the 1 mile one together and I’m doing the 3 mile one along with some guys from work. It will be Alexander’s second race and he’s excited about it. I’ll do 2 or 3 half marathons this fall, one of them during a trip to Minneapolis when we go see the Pens play the Minnesota Wild and see an old friend from when I was in the military who just moved to the area. It doesn’t have to be torturous, life is what you make of it and you have to get your priorities right.
Lmao! I thought Vaughn was crazy for eating twice in the morning… Not even 2 hrs later after his first breakfast and before 11 sometimes… Boys.. The mud dash sounds fun! U suppose we could try that out with Jess and X if Adam agrees?
Sure go for it! It’s a fun event for the family.
What’s the link again to look at it? And what day??
http://www.nebraskasportscouncil.com/MudRun It’s on Saturday August 26th.
You got it pretty much right there. It’s hard with family and a job to be consistent. I’ve been running/biking for 42 or 43 years …. started in the summer of 1974 but got more serious in 1975. It took a dive in 1979 when I moved back to Columbus and had to run in the wind and heat/cold on gravel roads around the quarter section. More vigor after I married Janine and moved back to Virginia with the milder weather, rolling hills and residential trails. Peaked again in Colorado, running Pikes Peak two years in a row. Kansas was back in maintenance mode and gravel roads again. Since I retired two years ago I can manage my time better and I’m averaging 6 days a week and a little over four miles a day. I run for two reasons – to maintain mental health because I have a small bit of depression and anxiety and running keeps it under control for me … and two, I need to stay in shape to keep up with my young wife … when she retires we want to “do some things” and I’ll need to be a fit 70 year old! :)
I enjoyed seeing Alexander and meeting Andrew over the weekend. They seem to be pretty nice kids and very friendly to a great-uncle they really don’t know.
To be honest I do it because I can see the world of difference between you and my dad and I don’t want to be in the same kind of health my dad is in from preventable things. I can see my future comes down to the things I do every day now and it’s almost impossible to come back once a tipping point has been reached.