9 miles in the rain

12:55pm - 2:20pm
9 miles
50 degrees
rain the whole time

I battled stomach problems, drenched clothes, rain covered glasses . . .for 9 blissful miles. I needed to beat my demons and I did today. I needed to beat through some of my lethargic tendencies and today I did.

There is nothing like the smell of wet bark and the sting of sweat salt in the eyes. I very well could have sat on the couch today . . .but if I did I wouldn't have "lived" this Sunday on country roads and had the day etch itself into my memory. I also would have kick myself for punking out of a 9 mile run. I won today on several fronts.

I read this in Esquire today. It is a quote from Kevin Costner. This answer could have been my answer . . . .my wife wishes I had more in common with Kevin Costner than just the answer to this question!

KEVIN COSTNER IN ESQUIRE MAGAZINE

I know what I know and it's not enough. I know that when I die, I'm going to miss a lot of great books and a lot of great music that I'll never hear. I'm going to miss seeing my children's children. I'll miss boyfriends and husbands who I'm going to be absolutely dependent on to treat my children with respect and grace, and take care of them and honor them. That's what I'm going to miss.

This song has been in my head today. It is by The Civil Wars:

I am 43 years old today . . .

It is 4:34AM.
I have been awake since 3:00AM.
I am 43 years old today.
I went to a funeral yesterday for a guy I knew . . .. he was 43 years old. His father had his head down the whole time during the funeral. All I could see was his sobbing, shaking shoulders from behind. I am sad for that family.

I have 4 miles today.
I have 9 miles tomorrow.

My kids are more excited for my birthday than I am. . .
I do not deserve them.
I do not deserve my wife.
I tell them all that I love them a hundred times per day.
They do the same for me.

I chose the road more travelled . . .

My alarm went off at 4:50AM this morning.
My training called for 3 miles of "repeats."
I had my running clothes and shoes already laid out so I would be ready to get up and go.

I decided NOT to run this morning and listened to that little voice that said that an extra 40 minutes of sleep would do me better.

I haven't listened to that voice for a long time.
I did today.

I won't tomorrow.

5 miles this morning

5:30AM
40 degrees
5 miles
left in the dark
back in the light

My legs have felt alive all day.
I ran hard.
I dry heaved in the backyard!
Cool.

My workload has increased 50% in the last 2 weeks. I need to remember this quote. I have already quit going to my Wednesday morning group because of my work . . .I CAN'T stop running.

6.3 miles today

2 days off
2:10pm
6.4 miles
3.2 miles into
20 mph wind

I did not want to run.
I wanted to take a nap.
I did not want to sweat.
I wanted to lay on the couch.

I ran
and
I
am a better
man
as a result.

This is the song that I turned on when I turned around and started running into the wind:

Its called Sandstorm (you have probably heard it . . .)

5:15AM before my run . . .

It is 5:15AM.

It is me, God and the rythmic tick of the grandfather clock. My world sleeps upstairs.

I only have 3 miles today so I am waiting until 5:30 . . .if I start running at 5:30 by the time I am done the sun will just start rising. There is no finer thing than to start a day out with that in the background.

When I leave for a run in the dark and return in the light . . I feel as though I ran through the night.

And no . . .I don't like to run. In a few short minutes I am going to shock my body into waking. In a few short minutes I am going to be sweating, hurting, heaving, maybe even wheezing! Oh but when I get done . . . when all of the complicated things that make up the physical part of Doug Owen start finding their way back to normal to start the "real" day . . ...then I start to feel the positive effects that the run had on me . . . that's why I do it.



6:15AM
I'm back
Lights in houses that were dark when I first ran by are now light.
The sun is waking.
My body is awake.
I have a somewhat brutal work day ahead of me but will be shot throughout the day with little "bursts" of energy from the run I just got back from.

Never will I have another Wednesday just like the one that I had today . . .

neither will you.

5:30AM
YMCA
30 minute tempo run
sweat in my eyes
stung
free coffee at place I stop at once a week - -50 minutes from home - my punch card full
brown eyed girl I love had a birthday today
ping pong with a son I have
date with a wife
good
day
good
night

5:15 this Tues. Morning

5:15AM

4 miles

Coldest enough to see my breath the whole time.

I ran hard enough to choke on my breath at about mile 1.5.

Between songs on my ipod I could hear the birds starting to wake up.

I finished my run gasping for breath.

I made myself do 25 pushups before walking to the "wall" halfway down the block
where I stretch.

40 minutes tempo run tomorrow. I am going to the treadmill. I won't hear the birds sing.

The 70's had the best music. This song by England Dan and John Ford Coley reminds me of about a million girls that I thought that I was in love with (even though I was only ten).

8 MILES THIS AM...

8 MILES

6:15AM

TIGHT HAMSTRING FIRST 1 MILE (LOOSENED ITSELF UP)

FINAL 3 MILES INTO A STEADY WIND

I SAW A DEAD FROG IN THE ROAD

I SMELLED LILAC

IT WAS 67 DEGREES . .IT FELT LIKE SUMMER

I HAVEN'T RAN 8 MILES IN A WHILE

I CAME HOME AND PUT ICE DOWN THE BACK OF MY SHORTS AND SAT ON IT SO IT MADE DIRECT CONTACT WITH MY HAMSTRINGS . . IT MADE A CERTAIN 5 YEAR OLD LITTLE BROWN EYED GIRL LAUGH.

Spectating . . .

I spectated for most of the day.

I watched my son in his first 4 mile race.  He finished 23rd out of 110. He is 14. . .I am proud of him regardless of whether he would have walked, skipped, hopped or moonwalked the 4 miles today by himself.

I watched friends finish hard the last leg of the race.

I watched people I didn't know finish hard the last leg of the race.

There is something about sweat, pain and pavement that draws people together. . . .or draws me to them whether I know them or not.

I am not used to spectating. My son has went to 2 of my half marathons, 2 10k's and my marathon . . .I owe it to him to stand on the other side of the ropes and cheer for him.

I ran 3 miles today on the indoor track at Knox. The kid at the door thought that I was a professor. . .

We went to Pekin to watch our "running buddy" in his quest for 100 miles on his trail race. We sat with his wife for a couple of hours and got to see him finish his 50 miles and head out for the next 50! I can't even begin to explain all of the "coolness" that I saw this perfect April evening. People that push themselves are plain "cool." I saw the "coolest" people I have seen in a long time. They are so cool they are still out there in the dark night with a headlamp lighting their way for another 50 miles . . .I on the other hand am sitting in shorts and a gray tshirt typing on a keyboard. . . . .

I have 8 miles tomorrow morning. Seems a little anti-climactic as I talked to a guy tonight who was just starting his 102nd mile (there is a 150 mile race going on too .. )

We listened to this album twice tonight on the way to Pekin. It is one of my top 3 favorite bands Bon Iver. My son and I love this video. It is from the song called Towers.

Wed.

This was my run this morning:

5AM
4MILES
26DEGREES
1RABBIT JUMPED IN FRONT OF ME
1HEART STOPPED BRIEFLY (it wasn't the rabbits)

I am so thankful that I don't really hurt anywhere right now when I run. I am going to be ramping up my longs runs over the next couple of weeks in preparation for the June Half Marathon.

If 5AM is considered early . . .tomorrow will be insane.

"And the full bellied moon keeps shinin' on me . . .. .and she pulls on this heart like she pulls on the sea."

Tuesday . . .

5:15AM
34 degrees
4 miles
I dry heaved again in the yard after my run.
I dry heaved last week also.
Awesome.

Out of the blue this morning my brother sent me a text that said, "You can't out train a bad diet." I read it just minutes after finishing a McDonald's breakfast burrito.

I will run earlier than 5:15AM tomorrow. The added pressures of my work make it imperative that I RUN before I start my day or I might crack . . .I don't want to crack.

Listen to the words of this song . . .it is very cool and will find its way onto my June 3rd Half Marathon playlist.  It is by the Oh Hello's.

Tomorrow night I am going to a party at a local establishment to celebrate my "running buddies" upcoming 100 mile race on Saturday. . .

Paying for it . . .

Sunday (yesterday)
6AM
Moon in front of me
Sun behind me
7 miles
38 degrees

Everything felt good.
I started paying for it about 5 minutes after the run.
38 hours later I still feel it. . .

4 miles tomorrow EARLY . . .it will be the moon the whole time.

true . . .

Adult Decisions . . .

Last Wednesday I accepted larger responsibilities in my company.

Along with that comes more time that it will take for me to manage those responsibilities.

I am NOT going to take time away from my wife or my kids. God knows that they are my life. With this being the case, I need to leave for work much earlier. I used to run "much earlier" . . now I am going to need to run "much much" earlier. I guess that is why they make headlamps!

To fit everything in that needs to fit into my life (family, church, work) I am not going to run any long races this year. It takes so many hours. Hours that I don't have to give right now. I'm not going to quit running until running quits me. I am willing to make sacrifices to keep this "friend" at the forefront of my day. I am going to have to get up even earlier to log my miles (few as they may be).

I may never do another marathon. I may do 15 more. All I know is that I think about the one marathon I did do . . .every day. And if that is all there is in the cards for me . .I will have accomplished the accomplishment. And that just may be enough . . .yeah right!


These are the shoes I am looking to get for weekend trail runs this summer:

Brooks Cascadia 7

I am going to run . . .

I am going to run this weekend.

I am going to run trails with my son tomorrow.

I am going to run 7 miles on Sunday.

I ran everyday this week but today.

I am going to get trail shoes for my birthday.

I am either going to to get Brooks, Montrail or The North Face.

I am saved by grace on this Good Friday.

I bought a new CD by The Lumineers this week and it is quickly becoming one of my top 5 favorites.

Here is one of my favorites off of the new CD:

I'm Still Alive . . .

I am still alive.

My career has taken a twist so I haven't had much extra time to devote to this "other" running and writing life.

I still run.

I am trying to keep my head above water.

I have been running in the darkness.

I have been running to stay out of the darkness.

I am still alive.