7 Traits of The Sean

How can I sum this being called The Sean up in a simple 7 Traits? You may ask that. Though, I would wonder how one could find 7 traits to describe me. Nonetheless, I love a challenge and I love writing things about me... so, let's give it a go!

First I will Google "common traits of The Sean" to see where I can begin. Back in a minute...

a minute or two later...

TRAITS!!

1. I seem to need intellectual and physical exercise.
   I really get tired only when bored. But boredom happens a lot because I am also lazy.
2. Procrastination I am prone to though I get my mileage in one way or another.
3. I hate to be confined to bed, unless it is to dream a little dream. Also any kind of oppressive (read 'not my idea') routine saps my optimism which is normally abundant. I am very trusting, to a fault, that is until let down.
4. I like to think that I can be eccentric and may find it difficult to keep a secret. But when I must, I do keep some secrets. So don't tell me anything unless it is REALLY important.
5. Close friendship with just one or two people is my norm. In fact, most who attempt to get too familiar with me or who takes advantage of my natural friendliness, may be struck by the fiery rocket of your temper. BAM!!! So, watch out if uninvited. But really I am a normal nice and caring person.
6. I can be tactless but are never deliberately cruel... just kind of opinionated without thinking things out totally- but this is in the best sense possible. And I have a great smile so that helps! If I am talking to you, then you are in my good graces.
7. I enjoy learning, study, and creative interpretation. Whatever that it.

Well, that is me in 7 bullets. You wouldn't know any different anyway. So take my word for it.

Google really is amazing.

Continental Divide Trail 10k- Race Report

The morning was off to an ominous start. Fog shrouded the Blue Ridge Mountains as I rolled out of bed on Saturday morning at 4:45. Beginning my drive with directions in the passenger seat, I was feeling good and ready to run a 36 minute 10k, after all this was on trail and reported to be hilly, so I thought 6 minute pace to start and then building from there was a conservative goal.

After a few complication arriving to the course... mainly my ability to get lost no matter what; I finally made it into the parking area about 35 minutes before the start. I saw that the registration table was at the top of a hill and set off in tights and Chacos to give up my $45. After a brisk jaunt I had my number and was off back down the hill to pin up, lace up and head up the hill back to the start which was now 15 minutes away.

After the prerace warning of the hilly course ahead (including the final hill dubbed "The Rock Wall") we were about to set out on I was still expecting a 36 minute goal time. The gun sounded and we were off... 54 runners looking to be the top 10km trail runner in America, at least according to the name of the race! It did not take long before about 51 of us realized we were simply in for an ass kicking morning of brutal descents and ascents. Mile one was furious on grass and into rutted trail, screaming downhill eventually leading to a perilous drop of tricky, muddy, rock-steps.

Then came hill number one. I soon realized that I had certainly gone out way to fast and this hill was zapping me right away with every bit of its 18% grade. Up and up and up we went for a couple of minutes and we soon reached the starting area before heading out into the single track on the back side of the course. This area was gliding and enjoyable though technical and deteriorating with each passing runner (I hate to have seen what this looked like for the women). After a mile or so in this setting we reached climb number two.

This was a beast. I could not guess at the grade. I could not touch the hill in front of me... but it was pretty close! I have run Mt. Washington and Kendall Mtn. before and I am here to tell you that some of these hills in Laurel Springs, NC offered a glimpse into the hell that those races represent. It was about this time that I knew that maybe 40 minutes would be more approachable. My steps were tiny and I just knew that I was being reeled in... however, I was not; it seemed that everybody was slowing down here.

We levelled out again. Soon looping back up to the start and heading out and downhill again. This time we zoomed through a grassy knoll and around the small pond. We then continued to lose elevation and reach out farther from the finish (geographically). Reaching the final aid station at about 30 minutes I figured we were getting to about 10 minutes from finishing, with a direct run back uphill to the finish... I thought.

As we neared the top of the "final climb" we were directed back down into the forest and lost elevation over the next 1/4 mile or so. The trail was falling apart, in step with my form. Everything was sloppy at this point and I was hoping to not wrap myself around a tree. After a small climb we reached the area of hill #2 (the steep one). I expected to be sent back for round 2 but we were directed onward another 100-200 yards around the bend. Then... the left turn.

NOW... we could reach ahead and touch the ground we were to run on. The flat rocks were slick and muddy. The muddy spots were glazed by previous foot slips and offered no traction. A small group of us were trudging our way upward... slowly willing the crest to come to us. We knew it would not happen and after several slips uphill we each decided it was time to... I have to say it... walk. Yes, there it is... we walked in a 10k.

Soon enough the trail began to resort back to a profile more fitting of a "hill" and the after a short, slight incline the finish line was in sight. Finish time 51:24. A far cry from my PR, from my daily goal and from the mid race revisionist goal too. I had no idea really of my finishing place. I thought somewhere between 15th and 20th.

This morning I checked the results and it turns out the top runner finished in 39 minutes, unreal. Out of 54 runners my final standing was 18th, fifth in North Carolina USATF. The women's race was over pretty quickly despite a strong field of runners. I sat by the lake below to watch the women come down through the field and through the woods. It was a neat vantage point to hear the effort of the breathing and the footsteps pound into the ground on the descent. The front runners were ferocious in their attacks on that course! It was just awesome!

Continental Divide Trail Race Preview

A rainy Friday and a forecast for a rainy Friday night should fully drench the course for tomorrow's Continental Divide Trail 10k. I do enjoy a nice sloppy run but to be honest have never had to really race in these conditions. But I do look forward to it.

Looking at my training for the year I see that I have mainly run a lot of long stuff without a lot of fast stuff. Recently I have injected a bit of 10k and slightly below efforts in and I am interested to see if this will translate well into a muddy and hilly 10k course. With the strength base I have I do believe that some of the gazelles may get pulled back a tad by the mud and this race could turn into a guts contest. That'll be "enjoyable". Bottom line is that tomorrow will be a competition run essentially. I am going there to run as fast as I can on that course, to get down and dirty and maybe take home some of that cash purse.

One nice feature for the weekend is that the races will be separated by gender. This means that the men will have the course first and after gutting it out will be able to sit back and watch the women's race unfold. Should be a great time with an opportunity to meet some new people! Doesn't the beer taste better when your legs are caked in mud?

Another Loopy Tuesday

This weeks speed work was abbreviated due to a number of factors.

One, I am feeling a little over trained. I believe it is best to rest when the body tells you so, or to at least diminish the likelihood of injury by reducing the level of intensity in a given workout.

Two, (and this relates to one) I am preparing for The Continental Divide USA 10k Trail Championships on Saturday in Laurel Springs, NC. This run will demand a great effort. The course claims to be an aggressive climber over 2+ loops. Better to not leave our best current race on a Loopy Tuesday. Pick your battles or they'll pick you.

Three, I will be racing the following weekend as well. A 7 mile run through beautiful Valle Crucis at the aptly named Valle Crucis 7 miler... ('The Cub'... in reference to the Grandfather Mountain The Bear Run.) This is the 2nd of 3 races in the High Country Triple Crown Series. It too claims to be hilly and I am sure that it will be.

So, this leaves me standing on the Loop on a Tuesday with some pace work ahead of me. First 2 miles at MP. I struggle to run this pace and finish the 2 miles feeling as if I had just completed a 5k. After my rest interval I set off to run 1 mile at 10k, complete it and that is the workout. That is it. Off to recover and cool down.

This is an uninspiring day. But necessary are the lows if we ever want the highs. That is my perspective on a Wednesday morning... not so much while changing out of my flats on the Loop.

I head home, spend the night with my beautiful wife, Lynnea. She is on track for an amazing performance at Goblin Valley 10k and her optimism is very helpful to help me regain the right attitude towards all of this running- it is really important to me personally, but not for performance reason necessarily

'Show Off'

Imagine yourself running up the side of a mountain. Not terribly fast, but relatively quickly and completely under control.

Now, imagine seeing a pedestrian coming down toward you. Imagine this man looking at you strangely. Imagine yourself greeting this man with a friendly, "hello. enjoying the day?"

Now, what if the 'man' responded, "show off".

Fast forward 10 days. You are running up a lesser mountain. It is still a climb of a few miles within the frame work of a gentle 18 miler on the trails. You bee-boppin' along and in your own blissful existence. Now, you hear some noise... 'what is that? music? singing? music and singing?' You turn the corner and see a man and his boy approaching down the hill. They are blaring their voices to the sound of a portable music device. Some generic 80's rock 'n' roll is crackling the cheap Chinese speakers. The anthem is being enjoyed glaringly by the two 'hikers'.

You are now a few steps from them. The proximity demands a greeting.

You ask, "How are you?"

The 'man' responds, "show off."

Now maybe you could say something back. Maybe you could allow this man his defense mechanism against whatever he feels he needs to defend. Maybe you could wait to return to the desktop and blog against this type of psychology. Just what is going on here?

My guess is that each of these subject's lives has been full of missed opportunities, poor choices and a heap of dreams piled out front of the proverbial mobile home. Of course, I am just speculating here. This is simply a brainstorm exercise. I don't know what would cause anybody to say such a thing. Maybe it was a joke? Maybe this is diarrhea of the mouth... but each subject has said the exact same thing. Next time I will just stop, eat a cheeseburger, sing an AC/DC tune and put down anything remotely resembling an achievement. Yeah... that'll be great!

Laurel Falls- AT- Coon's Den Falls

After a disappointing morning that included fighting and winning the battle against wanting more sleep, then arriving for a race at the wrong location and at the incorrect time and then going to work for a Saturday with my tail between my legs... I finally got out for a run on Saturday evening. The wait was well worth it as I got underway in Hampton, TN headed towards Laurel Falls on the Appalachian Trail.

The route began with muddy, wide and flat trails. The footing was soft and wide open as I wound around and through creek side camping settlements. This being the last weekend for many before school gets into full swing. The smell of campfire was permeating through the southern, wet forest.

Reaching the day's first climb, I ambled up through some 'rooty' areas and the first few climbs were over quickly. Some areas of the trail were very technical with jagged, exposed rock protruding upward. Some of these areas were skirted around river bends in gorge-like areas. Very intimate natural settings... with the rush of water just below. What a great setting to ease into a long effort out in the wilderness.

Another mile or so later (after several bridge crossings), the foliage opened up for a base-of-the-waterfall view of Laurel Falls. I paused here for a few moments and then made the left turn up the rocky staircase. The steps here were a little higher and steeper than was comfortable for easy running but... it made for some good power training as I ran each step in turn; feeling the heart rate climb and climb and I am sure was eventually very close to maximum. The arms and legs were pumping, outside of the comfort zone. I was happy to flatten out at the top of this section. Great strength measured here in a couple of moments when the thought to slow down crept in. My thinking in these situations is to decide whether I can sustain this effort for the length of this one climb... in this case I thought I could, so I did. Recovery was soon to follow.

At the pinnacle, the trail now wound in and out of several small canyon-like carved/blasted out areas. Rocks were piled at these cliff bases, like in a primitive highway settingand soon enough the trail flattened out and I reached Dennis Cove Trail head at the Kincora Hostel site on the AT.

Now began the longest climb of the day. Over the next 10-15 minutes the trail was fairly aggressive; winding up through a small creek bed eventually turning to the left near the top of the hollar and then creeping up to run along the ridge line. Now the climb really paid off visually with some stunning vistas of the landscape below and beyond. This is what I had been running through for the last hour or so. Not often do we get such a feedback to our path to our current standing. Most often our current situation is more of an isolated setting and we lose the big picture concept. Well, here it was all laid out before me. The past, the present and too, the future; in the short term at least.

In the photo above you can see Roan Mountain in the distance. Off screen to the right somewhere is Watauga Lake. There were several lookout points out here to take in these types of scenes which are generally rare in the southeast with all of our abundant life forms, trees mainly.

I also found a Geo cache in this general area. It had been ransacked thoroughly and not even a pen remained, just some old wet notebook paper. Oh well, still a discovery, if only a small one.

The ridge run continued on and brought me to a sign post, either straight on the AT or... down an aggressive descent toward Coon Den Falls. I chose to take in another waterfall before heading back for this day. One spot in particular was extremely steep and required running with my hands for a couple of strides on the return's ascent. Because of the grade here, the in/out split for this section of trail was remarkably even, not that I was really pushing too hard in either case.

The waterfall was small beautiful and I took a moment here as well to refuel and enjoy the area. I like to stare and visually memorize what the water is doing so that I can describe it to myself. This is a technique my brother and I frist started using when we visited the Magic Kingdon without a camera. We had to resort to snapping mental images of standing idly in front of Cindarella's Castle. But you know what, I can still see him standing there for 5 minutes on a warm February afternoon.

Back to the car I headed. The swooping run back to Dennis Cove was great and soon I was back to some flat footing. I became complacent though and took a nasty fall on my left side, skidding across some sharp rocks somehow unable to roll out of the fall as is customary. I threw down my bottles (and stopped my watch of course...) and groaned a bit. When I was certain nothing was broken I resumed the run. No more than 3 minutes had passed when I replayed the scene catching my right foot on another stone. This time the blood really began boiling in frustration and from several sites of laceration. My left elbow, left hip and most of my back was scraped and bloodied and muddied up.

File this under "it could've been worse..."

Well, 200m later I again caught the right foot on a small rock. This time I did not fall but the force nearly launched my bottle from its holder. The bottle was in fact 1/2 way dislodged from its carrier. The same carrier I usually have to use a pair of pliers to remove the bottle from. This illustrates how much momentum we all are really carrying over with us on each stride as we cover the trail; even on these long 'easy' efforts. A reminder too, that safety is no accident!

After a detour or two (intended) on the return to see some off-chutes of the trail, I was soon back at the car in 2:25 for another solid training run which really taxed and tested my strength and patience. All in all, after the morning's non-events, this day turned out to be a wonderful confidence builder and stress reliever as well.

Life's Lemons

I made it out of bed this morning despite that blanket urging to stay with its cool, redeeming powers. A cup of coffee, a skimpy pair of split side adidas shorts and some racingflats and I was on my way to the Boone 4 mile Challenge.

I arrived on time, and no one was around. "Hmmm..." I thought. I drove around some and eventually found the race. It was only about 12 miles from the original location I had searched. Just as I arrived I saw the leading runner flowing downhill towards the finish and I thought to myself, "see, the blanket was right."

I returned home, prepared for work and set my sights on a nice 2:30-3 hour run at the end of the day. I'll be headed out to the Laurel Fork trail in Hampton, TN to hook into the Appalacian Trail, ever heard of it? Suppose to be some beautiful waterfalls cascading around... also suppose to be a very busy trail. Perhaps the nearby NASCAR race will draw the tourists to Bristol, or at least to their television sets!

So, I am expecting a nice, long, relaxing run in the high country. You'll hear about it soon enough!

Boone 4 miler- Preview?

Can you preview a 4 mile race?

Well, I am... I am making the rules here, right?

I am not certain where the race is tomorrow, or what the fee is, or really of anything now that I think of it. I have a good idea of what 4 miles is and what time to be there. I also know that I am up too late tonight listening to the Red Sox get kicked repeatedly while they are down by the stripey team from New York City.

What will happen tomorrow? Not sure, but on a flat course I would hope to finish in under 5:46 pace... or maybe 5:47 to be safe. That would put me around... ummm. carry the 2... around 20-30 minutes.

I seriously would be happy with anything around 23:30. The results will come with the right approach, I've been running stiff and rigid- I'll have to do something about that!

One final note. This Hurricane Bill is outta control. Let's all hope for the best; for serious. I cannot take another decade of hearing about one single hurricane, no matter what the situation may be. I am going to wear a t-shirt tomorrow, with the name 'Bill' x'd out. With my luck I will line up next to a guy named Bill. Damn it.

Loopy Tuesday- Back at Home

This week has been full of not enough sleep... but it seems like all that I am doing is sleeping? Also I started classes again on Monday, started morning running on school days and have been trying to catch up around the house from the work we've been doing. A perfect storm.

I arrived at my destination donned in my cotton camo t-shirt on which has been printed, Lean Mean Fighting Machine in a military block style lettering which reminds me of M.A.S.H. reruns, yes reruns. It did not take long on this muggy day in the high country to be carrying 10 pounds of soaked shirt and shoes around the circuit. I tell myself this is not really extra weight since it must have come from within, doubtful I am wicking this much moisture from the surrounding air.

Leaving the car a long mile from Valle Crucis Park, I plodded along Hwy 194 with short quick strides in order to eventually run around in circles of varying lengths. I passed by The Mast General Store and peaked in at the bustle of old tyme mercantile. Arriving at the park I did a little half mile loop and got set to begin running fast in small bursts. This is the essence of Loopy Tuesday. The plan called for a section of 2 sets of 1200 and 1600 at 10k, MP pace work and followed this set with full recovery.

Then came the focus of the workout with some faster running designed to improve mainly mechanical efficiency somewhere down the road. I can tell you that I was feeling anything but efficient as I clomped along the asphalt path, dodging debris from the mower in the area, weaving around 'pedestrians' and soaking in the gawking of parents at youth football practice. These are the hazards we all face. But the real issue is the recent lack of real speed efforts, leading to over striding as the main obstacle. Or maybe it just feels this way?

All in all Loopy Tuesday was successful. 7 miles of work with some jogging in there for about 10 miles total on the day. I was wiped last night and feel like a zombie this morning. No amount of coffee will help with this lethargy... and oh yeah, I have a World Civilizations class tonight. If I start snoring, please, tap me on the shoulder... zzz zzzz zzzz zz zzz

Mt. Le Conte (or La Can?)

After a bit of a drive and battling the traffic of Sevierville and Gatlinburg, TN I finally made it to the trail head for Alum Cave Bluffs for an ascent with Mt. Le Conte. The Smokies had just been draped over by a smearing of afternoon heavy mist adding a fair amount of water to the creek alongside the trail. The route began with a slight climb with a lot of flat recovery for the initial two miles. The climb became more serious soon with an abrupt rise away from the creek.


I was feeling really good despite the larger workload from this week. Allowing the climb to slip beneath me was liberating and soon the first climb was below me and I was able to take in a nice little view of the National Park. As the trail made its way upward I was taken into beautiful alpine forests with shear drops to the valley below. Negotiating the shale and the overrun in the trails from the earlier weather made the trip even more enjoyable. At many points the route was inundating by uphill waterfalls.

The water level increased as the climb grew higher and higher. Meanwhile the temperature was dropping as the air thinned up around 6000 ft. eventually leading up to 6,593 feet. Since the trail begins near the top of the Smoky Mountain Parkway, this is slightly deceiving... not a monster of a climb over the 6 or so miles where I decided to turn.



I LOVE summits such as this one. No visual explosion. This is the type of goal which reinforces the concept of the journey being most important. I added a small stone somewhere on the base of this rock mound, touched a pebble on the very top of the pile with my finger and turned back toward the trail head. Ready for a nice long, patient cruise to the car. My goal was to run an even split.

With this mindset I was able to stop and enjoy some of the open views so rare in the southeastern mountains. It was striking to take in the folds in the Earth from such a vantage point. Remembering the work it required to get to this point in this run and in a macro sense the work to get to this point in my life, my running.

The rest of the night was spent in ballparks and bars. Eating Polish Sausage, drinking something cold and falling asleep without a care in the world.

Cumberland Trail

My intended 2 hour run was cut a little short before it got started. The allure of sitting around the flat screen was strong last night and it was 7:30pm before I got my first steps in. After an initial ascent over a ridge, and another and eventually 4-5 ridges and traverses around rocky outcroppings I was feeling smooth and free as the trail settled into a flow amongst dense forest with occasional vistas over winding river.

The backside of this section of trail opens up peaks into the Tennessee River Valley and what a sight it was as the sky subtly glowed an orange and pale blue. It is really beautiful when these sorts of light angles and colors interact with massive rock walls so typical of this area of Tennessee. If you are in this area of Tennessee stop by Rock Creek Outfitters for some guidance on the best places to hit trails where you won't be overwhelmed with those "tourists".

I made the out and back turn at about 40 minutes, though I had hoped to make a loop I was running out of light. On the return I entered some densely wooded areas that were very dark at that time of arrival. I stopped at one area on a boulder in a small creek bed. Standing there, closing my eyes for a few moments and feeling that cool summer night air. Listening to the sounds of the forest, mingling with the trickling of the hidden water dancing down through the rocky river bed... it was a moment that summed up the reason why I head out into these areas and provides for lasting validation whenever I wonder why so much of my time is spent doing such things. The memories such as this always beckon me onward, outward to the trail.


Getting started late, not a human did I see. Only a strange, unidentifiable black cat, a whole mess of thick webs and I was, for a short time, accosted by an peculiar loudly flapping moth type of a creature. Somehow this creature followed me for about 300m while running about 7:30 pace. Eventually I had to "drop" the bug by inserting a bit of a surge. Not sure what that was??

I look forward to some day running a few more hours out in this area and if you are contemplating doing the same I would highly recommend it!! Tomorrow, off to the Smokies on my way home... what will the run be?

Sunset Rock

Last night I stopped by Rock Creek for some advice on where to run here in Chattanooga. This was on the advice of David Ray. If you have read his blog, you should. *run dad run, see dad run) There is some great stuff in there ranging from a packed schedule of ultras to funny stories concerning him and his family.



Will at Rock Creek (outdoor store) took his time finding what I was looking for then pointing me in the right direction. Last night was an easy hour up around Lookout Mtn. The route took me up to some neat Civil War landmarks and eventually out in some of the smoothest rolling terrain I have run in quite sometime. This is the kind of running we dream of where time has disappeared and the steps just come with a flow. There were long segments of time when I did not even have a single thought in my mind. To me there is no better "runner's high" than this.



Following the run I ordered Papa John's opened a dark Abita Turbodog and lounged in front of Pedro Martinez's return to the bigs. Did you watch the game? Did you see Victorino get a beer thrown on his head by a fan in center field at Wrigley as he was camped under a warning track fly ball? Despicable and yes... slightly hilarious. But what a jerk of a guy to treat someone so rottenly.

Anyway, tomorrow I will go and see the Cumberland Trail. The trail should have a little bit more of a serious attitude, a little more rugged footing and aggressive climbing. I think?

Chattanooga Trek

This week I am travelling to Chattanooga for a work related conference. I will be talking to Christmas Tree Growers from throughout the U.S. While I am there I will be sure to take a little running vacation. No, not time away from running of course, but rather a chance to discover new trails.

I have been reading up a little about the area and it seems that the Cumberland Trail is the place to be. Some gorgeous gorges, riveting rivers and surely some special saloons as well will wash away the stresses of the days, which are limited... I may even take a morning jaunt or two within city limits in order to experience a touch of urban running.

The trip begins before sunrise tomorrow and will culminate with a ballgame on Friday night in Knoxville; I may even bring along the tent and soak in the sounds of the southern night. I love to travel but it will be so nice getting home!

The Bathroom Floor

Another weekend is upon us. This one will be highlighted by reflooring our "new" bathroom. Then soon after, getting our water turned back on so that we can transition away from the "camping" in our home mode which we have so thoroughly enjoyed for the past few days. The biggest hassle of all is having to wake up the dogs a couple of times each night so that they can take me out to pee. I can just feel them rolling their eyes as I roll out of bed at 2:00 am. Well, they are good dogs and they don't want to clean up my mess so I guess they understand. I do wait as long as I can.

I will also be running some... maybe an hour tonight and tommorrow and then Sunday for about 2 hours, give or take 30.5 seconds. I think tonight I will head out to the Blue Ridge Parkway and hit up a trail section where I will be able to frighten a flatlander or two with any luck.

Last night was a tempo run. I tend to run these too hard and last night this was the case again. Starting off well, easing into the effort, I soon had a couple of local high school runners approach my shoulder out of nowhere. Unlike Tuesday, I was not strong enough to avoid temptation... so I picked it up a step or two. After about 800m they relented and I was alone again but now with this quicker tempo established. I was at 8k pace... rather tempo it was more like a speed session without the breaks. Eventually, I settled into a good 10 mile effort and was sufficiently spent at the end of the run.

When finished with my run, I was stretching in the park and the two high school runners came strolling by. We talked for about 10 minutes about training philosophy and the importance of aerobic base. This is, of course, not only the foundation, but the mortar, the brick, the essence of any runner's existence. The speed just is a new bathroom floor. It takes an hour to do, but makes a big difference in the overall effect.

Loopy Tuesday

A glorious afternoon in Boone, NC... and it was Tuesday. What does that mean? Well not much, except for it was time once again for me to learn something about what kind of runner I am and in the process perhaps increase my potential for performance. That means nothing more than interval work.

The plan was 2 miles at MP then 2x mile at 10k and a final mile at 8k. So that is what I did, with rest intervals of 90 seconds. It went well and I worked hard and yada yada yada. A few interesting things happened while I was out there.

During my 2 mile MP effort I was raced a few times by a lad and his IPod. he was running 200m stretches of the course and he did in fact pass me several times "at the tape". I wanted to teach him a lesson, but instead taught myself one... integrity. So I stuck to my plan and ran my own run... over course I did revel in passing him back in a few steps as he double over, gasping for vital breathe and I continued on at Marathon Pace.

I finished up my daily toil. Feeling appropriately spent I sauntered into a cool down and tagged along with my new friend, Charlie, who was coming back from an injury and running the end of a 2 mile run. We chatted for about 10 minutes as he finished up his base work and then off to the car I went. It was a glorious afternoon in Boone. I know you are probably jealous.

Return to the Long Run.

Saturday morning and I knew I had to get a long run in BUT, all I really wanted to do was sleep.

So, I slept a little later, but was out the door by about 10:30 a.m. Of course it was a little too late as the month now reads August and even in the mountains of western NC, the temperatures do rise up. I chose a route that recieves full sun exposure. My thinking here is that I am training for a run in the desert, so might as well get adjusted. I was off well, cruising just below the 7 min pace and feeling comfortable though I was glisteing in the sunshine.

I reached Bethal Baptist and turned left onto Mountain Dale Road and decided that today would be a loop run. As is normally the case my runs begin with a vague idea and then I adjust that idea into a concrete plan with each step. A "Turn here, okay that'll be fine" kind of an approach. So, off on down Mountain Dale I ran. The pace was a cruise effort and I was creeping a little closer to 6:30 per mile now. Enjoying the scenery with Christmas Tree farms surrounding me and cows chewing on grass. Passing beyond the occasional farmstead and refurbished silo.

I eventually came upon Stone Mountain Road and turned left again, hit the 'split' button and began the ascent of 800 plus feet over the next mile and 3/4.

The first mile was on the aggressive edge of gradual and this went by in about 7 minutes, the heart rate climbing gently . Climbing a few switchbacks I entered the domain of cow fields and then looping left around a hairpin turn; Grandfather Mountain came into view off in the distance with a dusting of white clouds on its southern edge.

I was so thankful to be out there and feeling good, able to wave hello to folks in their Saturday morning yards, enjoying the beauty in their own way. The hill gave way momentarily and even descended. This is a sure warning for any runner, the best is yet to come.

For the first 1/4 mile I was regaining all of the elevation lost during this rest period. Up and up I plodded feeling that this hill was much more serious than its previous kin. Soon, I reached the cover of the forest and then the climb turned left and even more aggressively upward. I was now making my way up a grade in the middle teens. The birds were filling my ears with song and my heart and lungs were doing what they could to supply the muscles with what they needed. Body and mind working together to lift the body literally and the soul otherwise.

Another quarter mile up and 3-4 switchbacks I could see the beacon at the crest of the hill. A few inches at a time, patience... patience, stay aerobic and use your strength. Let this grade slip beneath and just feel the movement. Never run in a hurry (especially at 20+% incline).

Whoosh...

...that emmense relief that awaits your arrival at the more gentle edges of a tense climbing effort. About 15 minutes was all it had taken, but those seconds become precious as the goals comes into view.

Can we keep that perspective which allows us to see the movement as the goal, the lifestyle itself being the essence? It'd be ideal, but really what we, as runners, are looking for is to conquer challenges. I had one more in front of me for the day, to simply enjoy the 5+ mile cruise back to the house.


All the elevation gained would now be given back to me over the next 40 minutes or so. I popped a gel as the watch hit 60 minutes, settled into a comfortable stride, quick and light but not zealous. I glided downward through the miles absorbing the rush of air over my ears, my eyes, my skin being cooled gently on a sunny August morning. On my way to eventually complete household chores that loomed ahead. But for these moments, on a morning in my life, I took the time to live the the way I choose. To experience happiness in a personal and complete way.

I return to the long run because this is where the magical things will come.