50 minutes from now . . .

Last night we went to see Brad Paisley with some friends. I am not a country music lover but appreciate talent and art regardless of the forum. Today is ANOTHER day of travelling basketball. 50 minutes from now I will have about 40 minutes to go run . . .Am reminded on several levels today that I usually am running FROM something or running TO something . . . sometimes I wish that I could just RUN.

It is 19 degrees and windy today. I am not really looking forward to the actual "verb" running today but look forward to the adjectives that it makes me feel when I am done . .  .relieved, rested, complete.

I have lived alot of lives in my 42 years. God has reminded me of several of them today. I miss Denver, Colorado today where one of my lives was lived. I wish I could go back now as ME and not as the ME that lived there. I am sure that 10 years from now I will look back at some of this jibberish and not like the ME that I currently am. I think if we are "living" - -we are in a constant state of change . . .never really being ME for long before God re-develops, re-shapes and sets loose - - -always loving, always gracious.

I must RUN NOW . . .

10 times in circles . . .

I ran 2.5 miles on an outside track late this afternoon. It was 51 degrees.
My knees keep thanking me for not beating them on the hard pavement today. Tomorrow I am going to treat them to the treadmill. Vacation will be over for my knees on Friday morning as I plan on shredding them for 6 miles on uneven streets and hard roads. My wife has agreed to be open minded about an ultramarathon in the fall if I promise to walk the hills. . .

Crossing paths with a coyote this morning . . .

5.5 miles today
5:45AM
30 degrees
Misty
Mile 4
Coyote
crosses in front of me
30 feet
15 seconds (heart stopped)

I have seen coyotes before on my runs but never have I had one cross in front of me in the dark. I startled him as much as he startled me. He crossed the road and sat in the field watching me. . .I serve a WILD God. I kept thinking about what a "cool" thing to happen to me this morning. I kept thinking about the chance encounter and what it must have looked like from the heavens . . . .me, a 42 year old male trying to beat the aging process heading south on a dark, misty morning . . .and the coyote, (age unknown!) . . .heading West across the same road on the same dark, misty morning. Both of us were running when our paths crossed . . . .running is WILD. My God is WILD. And that is why I do this . . . .

This "thing" is starting to stir in my guts . . .

It is the same "thing" that made me run a marathon. It is the same "thing" that tells me to go run alone on a pitch dark country road at 5:30 in the morning. It is the "thing" that made me do flips off of the high dive, ride a roller coaster . .. kiss a girl in 6th grade! This "thing" is telling me that if only about 1% of the population has ran a marathon . . .the percentage would be MUCH less who have ran an ultramarathon!

Logically, I should be done at 26.2 miles. With a 10 inch scar on my right knee and a receding hairline .  .26.2 miles would be enough for most people. However,  a question is starting to rear its ugly head and sneer at me asking, "Are YOU Doug Owen, tough enough to run 31.069 miles? In this case, (because I can't copy off of the person sitting next to me) only I can answer that question. I'm not THERE yet because the question hasn't pissed me off enough...yet.

I'm not in position (or willing maybe) to ever run fast. I am, however, in a position to run long. And all of this WHY? Only people who run could answer that question.

9 miles . . .

I ran the route I ran on Monday in reverse. It was hilly-er in reverse. I'm not sure how to spell hilly-er (hillier . . .hill-eeeeee-rrrrrrrrrr). I left at 6:30AM. It was cold enough to freeze the water in my hand held water bottle. I ran 7 miles before I saw any sign of life . . .not even a car! The first sign of human life I saw turned out to be my running buddy (the guy who owns the local running store) and my other "new" running buddy . . .they were running on the same country road as me. Small world at 7:30 on a frosty Sunday morning! My legs are achy (achey . . . .aaaaaaa-key) today. I hit a hill and felt my heart start to kick into overdrive . . .it is one thing to run on predominately flat ground for 9 miles . . it is completely another when you throw in periodic hills. I trudged up the hill but realized when I got to the top that I have many more miles of hills to go before I am in good shape.

Spent an hour in the woods with my son today. I spent every weekend in the woods alone when I was about 5 all the way to 18. Our son has a much different life than I did. Some for the better . .some of it not.

No running tomorrow. Going to the Y. My flat chest and skinny arms aren't probably my most attractive attributes . . .

I broke my own rule . . .

I have always told our son that he needs to go to the bathroom even if he doesn't need to before he goes out for a run. I follow my own rule 99.7% of the time. Today was the 0.3% time. Run was cut WAY short . . pride still intact. . .tomorrow is a new day!

I am going to do 9.5 miles in the morning. The new "run" that I ran on Monday when I took the day off. A mix of city, country road, hills and park . . .I have all of the clothes layed out, ipod charging, handheld waterbottle washed . . .I am guessing that it will be in the 20's. ANYTHING can be better than today's run.

I just finished a documentary today called "The Runner." I bought it for myself for Valentine's Day! It follows David Horton as he runs 2,700 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Coast Trail. 40 miles per day for 66 consecutive days! It is very cool . . . .Speaking of very cool, I did a little research on The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k in Kansas City in mid-November . . .might be a possibility. I found a 20 wk 50k  training program that would fit in very nicely with my life schedule. We will see . . . .something big is coming down the road . . .I can feel it.

And it ended with a dry heave in the front yard . . .

I was talking to a friend (who runs farther and faster than me) last night about how on most of my runs (regardless of how short or long) different parts of my body take turns hurting. I never had that problem when I first started running . . .I also wasn't in my forties then.

 I headed out this morning in the 5:45AM fog. The fog was like a movie. I naturally ran faster! 2 miles into the run I realized that nothing was hurting but my chest felt tight and I was struggling with my lungs filling up (must be the onset of a chest cold) . . .long story short . . . .this was the ONE run where everything below my belt felt good but things above my belt didn't! I ended the run dry heaving in the front yard . . in the fog. It was awesome.

This is the verse that has been dancing around in my head for about a week:

Amos 4:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ He who forms the mountains,
who creates the wind,
and who reveals his thoughts to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth—
the LORD God Almighty is his name.

I want to run with HIM.

This is the song that has been bouncing around in my head. It (the band Bahamas) was referred by Jack Johnson on his facebook page. Those of you who know me know that in MY world, Jack Johnson is as cool as it gets.

9 mile Monday

I took the day off today.

I ran 9 miles in the spitting snow.

It was 30 degrees.

The new route that I ran today had a couple of hills that made my right calf want to cramp up.

I have only eaten 2 bananas today and a 20 ounce cup of coffee. We are going out tonight for my wife's birthday so I have been saving my intake for the Italian restaurant.

As usual, my body told me when I had reached 7 miles. It is like an alarm clock . . .at 7 miles different parts of my body took turns complaining and warning me that my lower body wasn't happy with me.

3 hours after my run . . .I feel great . . .this is WHY I RUN.

Punishment run . . .

7:00AM
15 degrees
5 1/2 miles

A quarter mile into this run I knew that it was going to be a brutal one (and it was!).  Here's why:

YESTERDAY
Banana, Breakfast Bar and 20 ounce coffee
3 big enchiladas, refried beans and rice from Rudy's Tacos for lunch
20 ounce diet coke
Grande Pike Place coffee from Starbucks
Barbecue Chicken, corn and 2 baked potatoes
8 chocolate chip cookies with milk before bed

I AM AN IDIOT. I do not have any self control over my eating. The problem is that I am not even running enough miles to cover even half of these calories. I'm OK with calories . .the right kind of calories . . .nothing I ate yesterday was good fuel for my body. I KNOW that the food I consume is what fuels me for my runs . . .but still I eat crap!

Today so far:
Bowl of Cheerios
20 ounce coffee
Breakfast bar, banana
2 pieces of sausage pizza from the frickin gas station
grande PIKE from Starbucks
8 peanut butter crackers . . . and it's only 3:26!

On a better note . . .the running clothes that I have keep me warm. The people that passed me this morning in their cars were calling me an idiot I am sure . . .I was a warm idiot however.

Nothing today . . .

Spent the day in the Quad Cities at yet another travelling team basketball tournament. And NO . . .we do not live vicariously through our sons' athletic accolades!

Looks like tomorrow will be the same  . . .so I am going to get up early and run 5 miles. I can deal with life so much better when I have already had my run or one is on the agenda for the day. Today I had neither . . . so Starbucks kept me from leaping over the edge. And tonight . . .I am going to partake in a couple of Shiner Holiday Cheers I have been saving for an almost zero degree evening such as the one we are going to have tonight.

Tried on several different types of running shoes today. . .though I will not switch anytime soon from my Mizuno Nirvana's . . .it is fun to try on the shoes that I read about in magazines. . .

The Moon, Brick Streets and Me

5:15AM
16 degrees
3.6 miles
The Moon
Brick Streets
and
Me.

This song reminds "me" of "me."

Brutal Day

Tough day as a parent, professional and human being!

3.2 miles this early 20 degree morning.

4 miles tomorrow on the stupid treadmill. 4 miles on the treadmill feels like 8 miles outside.

My right knee feels better.

I am alive.

That is good.

11 miles this weekend and a screaming ACL . . .

4.5 miles trail running with my son on Saturday. Cold. Windy. Muddy. Leaves covering roots, stumps and rocks . . .I shuffled.

6.5 miles Sunday morning at 7:15AM. I ran hard the first 5 miles. The final 1.5 miles was shear survival mode. I coughed for 10 minutes after I finished.

Day off from running today. Went to the Y this morning. My right knee hurts where my ACL was repaired. It feels bruised. I don't honestly think that I injured it running . . .I think I bumped it on something.

I have been trying to wrap my mind around eternity today . . .I haven't got it yet.

6 out of 7 days

I ran this morning at 5:30 in the fog once again.

I emptied my tank on the brick streets of my town.

I have ran 6 out of 7 days.

I will run 5 miles on Saturday with my son.

I will run 9 miles on Sunday by myself.

With no real races planned . . .I am running to run . . .and that is good enough for me right now.

Last Supper . . .

I had a bowl of tomato soup tonight.

I was hit with the stark realization that sometime I will eat my LAST bowl of tomato soup here
 on earth. . .

It's not always easy being me!