Be in the position to steer your ship along with the tides

I once spent a summer surfing in Maui.  During that time I learned a life lesson.  The tides will come and go and you have no control over that but grab that board and paddle out anyway.  You will build up the endurance needed for when the tides changes.  When the storm does roll in and you’re strong enough to paddle out you just might drop in successfully but when you do inevitably wipe out you must surrender control and conserve all the energy you have to hold your breath.  The tide is always in control and will take you along for the ride of your life if you choose to put yourself out there.  Rather than waiting for the perfect surf report to make me happy, I was happy every day just being in Maui paddling out and making the best of it during the lack of waves by putting in the work to build up my strength.  This gave me the opportunity to be strong enough to paddle out and hold my breath for when the waves did roll in.  I made the best of what I had every day in Maui to be in the position to steer my ship along with the tides.  In the end of my summer, I recall being one of the few who dared to paddle out during the storm with enough endurance to take on some pretty spectacular wipeouts.  Some of my friends did not have that same firsthand experience, they chose to be spectators that day.  Today I shall do what others won’t so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.

Looking forward at 2016

Looking forward at 2016

• Be conservative with possessions and instead invest in life’s experiences that lead to inspirational story telling.
• Surround yourself with friends and positive energy to chase your dreams & experience this amazing journey together.
• Avoid distractions and gain focus to master your craft through repetition until it becomes the hat trick. 

What People See

The North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco 50 Mile

THE NORTH FACE ENDURANCE CHALLENGE

GORE-TEX 50 MILE on 12/5/2015 at Marin Headlands

I've thought about returning to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area ever since my first endurance challenge.  There is something about experiencing a park that was set aside as San Francisco was built that resonates with me.  What's magical is coming upon the Golden Gate Bridge from a single track trail, experiencing what feels like a light rain but is really just drops from the coastal redwoods drinking the fog, or the clean pacific ocean air on your lungs.  Those heightened senses when enduring a 50 mile run create memory impressions that run deep and I'm stoked to be going back for more!
In my life, running has transformed my perspective to live a life filled with limitless possibilities for growth.  With running you can narrow your focus to control the controllables and set goals you yourself make individual progress on.  You can choose something you care about with passion then apply energy to do something about it to improve.  The accumulation of hard work adds up and on race day you bring the best version of yourself forward for the challenge.
While running, you can surrender your mind to focus all of your energy on this very moment and the struggle sharpens your body and your mind instead of avoiding it with modern day conveniences. If you've read my previous blogs, I put words into action and love a good mantra to think about as I chase my goals.  My legs only take me so far and when they get tired its my mind that challenges me to believe in myself and my ability, do my very best and accomplish anything I set my mind to do.
At the starting line, the anticipation of what is going to happen is magical.  Everyone here is seeking adventure and enjoying some of the best experiences life has to offer.  This is not the part of society that plays a video game but rather steps into that video game character within themselves to seek adventure in real life.  We are about to race through the Muir Woods, one of the most beautiful places on earth and when the struggle gets real the energy in those surroundings is something surreal to tap into.
So I'm lined up at the starting line and to my right is no other the author of the Field Guide to Ultrarunning, Hal Koerner.  My friend Tyler who just did Pine to Palm 100 had a crazy idea for me to carry a GoPro for 50 miles today so as luck would have it, the opportunity just presented itself for an interview with Hal on the starting line.  In this sport, I get to follow in the footsteps of my idols and see eye to eye at the very moment they look into the eye's of competition.  Very real.  So Hal says, "the wolves are coming out today".  To hear the alpha wolf relay that mindset as the pack lines up put me right there in the moment.  To witness what is humanly possible from the greats in our sport gives me perspective to push my own boundaries.  I love the fact that I'll be running in Hal's foot steps on the trail today.
The race starts off fast and the momentum of the group carries me up the first hill effortlessly.  I take a few moments to point the GoPro to the incredible views along the way.  One of the views was a river of headlamps lighting up the trail behind me.  The trail felt alive.
My day was going just like any long run out to Mt Tam, the half way point.  I used Tailwind exclusively as my fuel.  Arriving at each aid station was like clock work where I opened my handheld prior to arriving, handed it over to the volunteer to fill with water then pulled out a zip lock back of tailwind to refill and go.  I felt perfect all day with this approach.
Arriving at the last aid station with drop bags, I had placed a Red Bull and iPod in my special needs bag to give me a boost to bring it home.  This was a pivotal moment for my day to attempt digging deep for a sub 10 finish.  I had assessed fellow runners I was next to at this point of the race and picked one runner to follow for dear life.  He was fast on the down hills and picking people off so I jumped on his heels.  What I can describe happened next was just like downhill skiing.  I took risk, jumped over stairs, tried skipping & jumping on the tops of rocks, leaned into it and went crazy fast downhill.  I took an epic fall going all out on tired legs and landed flat on my chest.  Fortunately, I landed on good dirt and avoided falling on any rocks.  I got right back up and kept on his heels.  We ran on the flats, continuing to pick people off.  It was the best part of the race, having the reserves to pace a fast runner home.
I finished with a 9:45, a one hour PR from last year.  It felt amazing to tap into a state of all out 100% that has grown from my all out capabilities just one year ago.  Its always an emotional finish to put it out there on the line and see what your body's capable of.  Its a validation point for me to keep going with the momentum and see where this path will lead.
Strava Results
http://www.strava.com/running-races/2015-the-north-face-endurance-challenge-san-francisco-50-mile-championships

Surf City 26.2 Training Plan

Week One

Sunday: long run finish with 3 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 4x mile 3 mins rest 

Workout 2: 1.5 mile LTR (or race)

Week Two

Sunday: long run finish with 3 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 2x 2 mile 3 mins rest

Workout 2: LTR  (or race)

Week Three

Sunday: long run finish with 4 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 5x mile 3 mins rest 

Workout 2: LTR (or race)

Week Four

Sunday: long run finish with 4 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 3x 2 mile 3 mins rest

Workout 2: LTR  (or race)

Week Five

Sunday: long run finish with 4 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 6x mile 3 mins rest

Workout 2: LTR  (or race)

Week Six

Sunday: long run cut down last 5 miles

Workout 1: 2x3 mile 

Workout 2: LTR  (or race)

Week Seven

Sunday: long run finish with 5 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 7x mile 3 mins rest

Workout 2:  LTR

Week Eight

Sunday: long run finish with 5 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 3 mile, 2 mile, 1 mile [3 mins rest between each]

Workout 2: LTR

Week Nine

Sunday: long run finish with 6 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 10x 1K 3 mins rest

Workout 2: LTR

Week Ten

Sunday: long run finish with 6 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 2 mile, 20 mins active rest, 3x mile 3 mins rest

Workout 2: 4x400, 30 min tempo @ your long run cutdown pace that you usually hit, 4x400.

*take 2 mins rest between the 400s

Week Eleven

Sunday: long run finish with 6 mile cutdown

Workout 1: 2 mile, 20 mins active rest, 2x mile 3 mins rest

Workout 2: Same as last week

Week Twelve

Sunday: Long run no cutdown

Workout 1: 2 mile, 20 mins active rest, 1 mile in 4:50

*do this workout as early in the week as you can, preferably Monday.

Workout 2: 10x 1 min ON 1 min OFF, nothing crazy just enough to keep you legs from getting stiff, make it a feel good workout.

Malibu 13.1

It was a normal Saturday and I’m at home when I receive a text from Justin.  “Well the sickness has cut me down and out.  If you want to drive down south you can have my bib.  You’ll probably be home by 3:00 tomorrow.  Let me know if you’re interested.”  My reply, “I’m in”.  

That evening, I drive down south on the 99, 5 and 101 to Malibu.  The race is held next to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area on the ocean front of Hwy 1.  When I look at a map, my eyes are always drawn to the green recreational areas, regional & national parks as key destinations where I wish to spend my free time.  This location did not disappoint and with the road closed to cars we’ve magically make Hwy1 our playground.

I paced a 7:22, 1:37 race.  I felt really good using this race as long run practice pacing for my full as I normally do my long runs on Sunday.  My worst mile was a hill at 7:58 but my last mile was 7:08 so my endurance is good and I’ll need to work on strength.  I tried something new at this race and went exclusively on water.  This was in part due to the aid stations only carrying water so participants don’t litter gel wrappers next to the Great Pacific Ocean.  It’s sometimes refreshing to learn to go minimalistic weather that is with gear, weight or nutrition and with this season focused on simply running, I feel like I want to run in that direction.

The Lost Boys of Yokohl Valley

The alarm is buzzing and I'm headed out to meet Tyler and Matt.  Were going running.  Tyler shows up in his white Ford pickup to carpool and we take his truck since it doesn't stand out on the country roads where cars break in's are common.  In terms of friends to run with to get faster, I'm in good company.  Tyler is a young buck who just completed the 100 mile foot race Pine to Palm.  Matt's got a real race resume taking a podium spot at half marathons.  So I'm 42 and staying young by hanging with these kids. Today we get to play in Yohohl Valley for our long run like a pack of lost boys.



In many ways, Yokohl Valley is our base camp where we have to earn it first before it gets repeated on race day.  The more time I spend out here, the more I become part of this landscape and adapt to the brutal training on sublime country roads.  Out on the road, there is peace in disconnecting from the everyday world.  If you take worries out on the road with you, you can leave them there when you return all content, exhausted and happy.



I've learned the act of running is far less difficult that the act of saying no to all those tasks that prevent you from your run.  In a way, it's a very minimalistic approach to happiness where you decide to do less things and re-allocate time to master your craft.  Running is an approach to finding happiness where it's not about what you own but what you experience that makes you feel rich.  Less stuff, more life. When I carve out time to go for a run its hard to say no but its all part of the process of unbecoming those parts of society that arn't really you.  



As Michelangelo once said “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it”. 


Train your Athletic Mindset to think the following:

• “I believed I could so I did”.
• “Choose between what you want now and what you want most”.   
• “Qualifying for Boston demands and defines the person I want to be”.
• “You’ve got what it takes but it will take everything you’ve got”.
• "Starve your distractions to feed your focus"
• "Take a hold of the present day"
• "You always have another gear so when your legs give out run with your heart".

The simple act of arriving in Yokohl Valley for my weekly long run sets the stoke meter clearly off the chart, as Tyler would say.  We escape out here to wide open spaces that have escaped urban sprawl.  Its our backyard where nature is within reach.  Our little sanctuary where through the eyes of a runner we find our lost Eden.   Out in the country, a sunrise looks different than suburbia.  A sunrise happens every day out here and you can choose to put yourself in the way of beauty. 



To be continued...