Midfoot Strike....

I decided at the beginning of summer that I was going to switch from a heel-strike to a midfoot-strike. I heard it was more efficient and could reduce injuries and make me faster. I also heard that in some people, it could increase injuries. As for me, all it's done so far is give me some blisters on the balls of my feet and they are now turning into calluses. Those hurt, for now. Otherwise, I do feel faster, more efficient, and less overall pain. Maybe those guys were on to something? I guess I'll have to wait until the June 11th Sounds to Narrows 12k to see if things are working or not. I hope this was a good switch. I don't think my feet will be happy with me if I put them through this beating and then went back to my old ways...

There's something about running.

Something that grabs me and won't let go. Something inside me. Maybe it's addiction. Maybe it's the endorphins. Maybe I'm just slightly crazy. Or maybe a lot crazy. Whatever it is, I can't get it out of me, and to be honest, I don't want it to ever leave. I want to run, I want to feel the wind in my face, the ground beneath my feet, the sweat dripping down my face. The deep breathes of fresh air, the feeling of tapping into something deep inside me. I want to go fast.

Something needs to change.

Something isn't right. Things aren't working correctly. I am an engine designed to have an output of 400 horsepower, and I have only ever been able to output 300. I'm not broken, I'm just not running at full speed (no pun intended). Things need to change. Things need to click. I need to realize my full potential. I am faster than this. I am more efficient than this. Something, or somethings, need to change.

I'm getting stronger...

I can feel it on every run. Every stride, every breath, every mile, I can feel the strength growing in my muscles. The oxygen flows through my body, the calories burn in my legs. I am getting stronger. More importantly, I am getting faster...

And so it begins...

In the cold Washington rain, my summer training began. An easy run, nothing too long or too fast. Yet, I faced some bumps in the road, some cobwebs I needed to shake off. A abdominal cramp at mile 2, and then a old pain returning at mile 5, causing me to stop twice. A bit frustrating to say the least (a few obscenities may have escaped my mouth). Day two went by a little smoother. Same abdominal cramp at mile 2, but that was all. And then day 3 came along. I was blessed with a beautiful, sunny Pacific Northwest day, and it made all the difference. Despite being sore from weight training the day before, the sun filled me with energy and I flew through the 6-mile run without a problem. I only hope that I just needed to shake off a few old, nagging pains from the long season, and that I will soon be enjoying a great summer of training.

My feelings about casual runners.

I hate them. Okay, hate is definitely too strong of a word. How about, I dislike them. Not because I think they are too slow, chasing pathetic goals, or bad people. I dislike them simply because they try to blur the line that separates runners. Runners are not one big, happy, group that are all the same. There is a clear divide among us. There are those who run for fun, to get in shape, to make friends, and then there are those who run to be the fastest person on this planet. There are those who run for fun and those who run to win. Sure, those trying to win have a lot of fun along the way, and there are those who run for fun who end up winning a few times, but we are fundamentally different. I have made a separation for the running community: runners and people who run. And the difference is simple. Runners eat, sleep, and breath running, as to say, we eat what we eat only to fuel our bodies for our next run, we sleep only to recover our bodies for our next workout, and we breath only to provide our muscles with the oxygen needed to sustain forward momentum of our bodies. People who run, however, may eat just because, even if it may hurt their running. They sleep when they want to, even if they will miss a run. And they breath to talk or some other less important task. Sure, sometimes they will dedicate one or more of these things to running, but once the run is over, they have a different task. And this post is not to say we can't all get-along or live together or even run together. It is simply to let us know that we are different. We have different goals, ideas, and reasons for running. Do not think we are all the same, because we are not. We are as different as the trails we run on, no two are alike.

Some Deep, Personal Thoughts About My Career

Today as I rush to finish packing my stuff to head home, I stumbled upon my goal sheet. I have always known it was there, stuck on my wall, but I never really thought much of it until I held it in my hands again. As I stood there, looking at it, I began to think about my past goals and where I am in my career. And I realized something. All the goals, the plans, the things I said I was going to do by now, haven't really happened. I was going to be a high school, 4a, cross country/track champion. Didn't ever place. I was going to sign at a big, D1 school. I am currently at a small,D2 school (but it's better than no school at all). I was going to be the freshman that everyone talked about and didn't want to race. Only my teammates and family talk about me. And to me, none of this seems fair. Everything I've done. All the miles. The workouts. The blood. The sweat. The tears. The laughter. The joy after finishing a race how you wanted. The frustration after not. The time spent rededicating myself, over and over, to running. The time I could have spent with the ones I loved, instead spent sprinting through mud puddles and trying to finish the last 2 miles of my run before the sun goes down completely. And what did I get for all that? Which of my goals has been accomplished? Why am I constantly disappointed in all of my efforts? I know I am built for this, my long legs, small, skinny frame. I am a runner. Yet, I can't run fast enough. People have asked me, "What are you running from?" It's very clear that I started out running TOWARDS something, that something being greatness. But ask me that question today, and you might get a different answer. Yeah, I'll tell you I'm running towards my goals, but I might also tell you that I am now running away from my past. Running away from all my failures, my disappointments, the things that make me want to quit when the race starts to hurt just a little too much. But the question I myself now ask is, "Why aren't I running fast enough?"

My season is over.

I'd like to forget about the end of it completely. It's time to just train for cross country this fall now.

Tomorrow is the big day for my season.

Tomorrow I race Duke Twilight. It's my last chance to get my goal in the 5k. Go big or go home.

Life Lessons

   Though I am not even yet 20, I have learned a lot of important things about life. Being a runner has taught me many lessons that otherwise would have taken me years to learn. Through my journey's, I have learned that for myself, there are only 3 things I need to survive in this world. I'm not talking about food, water, and sleep kind of things, but things that keep my head straight. These things are: family, friends, and running.
   Family has always been a huge part of my life. When I was younger, and even now, my shy personality has prevented me from being good at meeting new friends and talking to strangers. I struggled through elementary school at being socially accepted, but I always had my family to lean on. I am a mommy's boy and always have been. I have done so much with my mom and spent so much time with her, it is weird now to not have her around. And while I was a mommy's boy, I definitely didn't not neglect my dad. He took my camping and fishing and tried his best to make me a real man, and I believe he did a fine job. And then there is my sister. Once I grew up a bit, my sister and I started spending a lot of time together. We have a lot in common and she has been there for me through a lot.
   The next thing I need to live is my friends. Though I stated earlier I struggled with making new friends, I always had a core set of close friends that helped me survive. I always had at least one person to lean on, hang out with, and just be myself. They have been family friends, school friends, and most recently, running friends. They keep me sane and let me be myself.
   The last thing I need to survive in this world is running. Running has been my outlet for 4 years now. When things get rough, with friends, family, or school, I could always just go out and run to clear my mind and think straight. Running has taught me the importance of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. I had made some of the best friends I've ever had through running. My greatest accomplishments in life and some of my fondest memories have come because of running.
   Anyways, I just wanted to say that real quick. This is something that is always on my mind and I thought it deserved to be expressed. I run my last race of the season at Duke Twilight on May 8th. Look for a sick new time!