I've been working with Northeastern State University Army ROTC, doing a running clinic with them monthly since August. Today I had the opportunity to test out the obstacle course with them at Camp Gruber. Here are a few pics!

Eeeeaaaaallllllmooooost...  I did finally get it!  …

Trail runner looked forward to her first spring run on the trails in Arkansas. As she stepped onto the trail she remembered the last time she was out there, snow on the ground, animal tracks everywhere to be found. Although a cold morning, spring was in the air and evident in the woods.  The redwood and dogwood blooming, green patches of grass rising up, pushing aside the leaves of winter. Trail runner is training for several…

Well, I haven't posted anything since deciding to try running again.  As I said, I felt particularly unfit and still had the chronic remnants of many injuries received over the years.  Reading Eric's book really inspired me but I realised my feet were in a terrible state from many, many years of wrong shoes and NEVER walking barefoot!  The answer came in the form of Eric's 6 week beginners course.  I am now 4 weeks into it......and LOVING running!  This is a completely new experience for…

Since December we’ve been focusing on training, intentionally avoiding racing early so I can be as ready as possible for my Cool Impossible, the US Skyrunning Series - Ultra. This was my first opportunity to hit the trails racing. I entered the 25k distance so I wouldn’t need much if any recovery following the race and be able to jump right back into training. It was somewhat of a last minute decision to…

I always wonder what's a runner to do when it comes to days when you can't run.

Say, you are on a training plan and you're set to run 30 miles next Sunday. You can't make it because your employer is sending you at the last minute to visit a customer across the country. You'll be in flying all week end long.

What do you do? Do you push this missing day to the following Sunday? Do you just ignore it and move on to the next run?

As I got more…

Have to share my new favorite place to run. It sucks actually...in a really awesome way! I've posted a few pics in the past. It's the World's Highest Hill, Poteau Oklahoma. I have a good friend who lives at the base of Cavanall hill. He has etched trails all over the…

Hi Everyone

Yesterday my B2R Trail shoes arrived along with a pair for my wife and a pair of the road shoes for my running partner Jeff. All in all it took 3 weeks for them to arrive which is very good given the distance they had to travel and having to clear customs before being delivered. As…

Two years. Two years.

104 weeks since I decided I'd make a bit more of an effort with what used to be a very alien pursuit for me. I've gone from being a panting mess that struggled to make it a couple of times around the local park to running literally thousands of kilometres over the last twenty-four months. I've run through the night, I've run for hours to see the sun rise, I've headed out to find peace and time to think. Sometimes, I've done it with hundreds of…

I found this on my home page today. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2595067/Jogging-actually-BAD-Too-running-increases-risk-early-death.html

The artical above tries to make the case that running can lead to an early death and to me the artical has alot words, a huge headline but says nothing just to get eye balls on their page. I…

Pics of ultrarunners from the Prairie Spirit 100 and 50mi ultra this weekend.  Such an amazing day and change, with amazing people, well, family really. Saw true grit, shameless whining;), and the true spirit of humanity. You cannot look in the eyes of an ultrarunner during a race and not see amazing depth of character and emotion, you can truly see their soul, and it is always beautiful and humbling.…

Speedwork and brainwork today! track work with 2x400 and 4x1000 at near max effort...well, I was hoping they'd be more "near" max effort as opposed to just plain "max effort!".

 Speedwork runs/track runs are always my favorite and most nerve wracking runs. I absolutely love the challenge, but I tend to get very nervous about them and worry worry worry, before AND during. I'm working on that though and am making brain progress, which I hope will enhance speed…

Its been 3 months since I finished reading TCI and started on strength training and just under 3 months for wearing my B2R road shoes.  To be honest, I thought I'd be further through the program, especially as I've been diligent about doing all the strength exercises 3-4 times per week but I'm kind of stuck on the Transition phase and not wanting to go further until I've sorted out some lingering soreness in my right heel.

While I haven't progressed along the training program like I'd…

Now I know that many of you already know and enbrace this, so please humour me.

It's not that I have been completely oblivious to the relationships between Heart Rate, Fatigue, Form, Foot and Leg Strength, Proformance, Mindset, Muscle Soreness etc but until I read The Cool Impossible and started the 15 Week Foundation Program as described in The Cool Impossible these linkages were not front and centre in my mind. They were there, a shadow, a knowing but not really…

4 x 7 min speed intervals today.

Nervous as always before speed work..At first glance the pace looked not too shabby to hold, but then, "what if you can't you hold that pace?" "you held a faster pace with these same intervals last year what if they are too hard, what does that mean about you?", Hello Walter! Of course I didn't recognize those thoughts yet, they were still more feelings squeezing around my chest as…

It was too beautiful a day to resist. Breathless, slightly chilly, but glorious spring sunshine; perfect running weather. And I had to go into town anyway, so I slipped quietly out of work and tried a cautious mile down to the bike shop. And I didn't collapse in agony on the side of the road. My knee held up pretty well, perhaps feeling very slightly sore in the last 100m or so. And I didn't seem to have forgotten running form, and with lots of things to think about it may even have…

After a few months off this winter to recharge and a few good blocks of training, I was ready for my 1st race. I was really excited to get on dirt and test my legs. I didn't have a time goal. My race plan was simple, don't go out too hard, ease up a little on the hills, and put it into another gear for the last 5k. Here is what I emailed to Eric.

I had a really good race. I learned how to push myself to another level

of pain. I will explain in a second.

I was 2nd in my age…

I have slowly built up to 6 km in my neopren socks..now the real training can begin. I like the strength training however  I struggle to get up to 3 x 25 reps of the pistol squats..I hardly manage 3x 10..

Yes, it is quite possible I have gone completely off the deep end but if you are willing to follow me, it should be entertaining at least! I thought about waiting to blog about Walter until I completely understand where I’m going with…

Well, I've made the decision.....to try again! Here I am 52yrs old, hypertensive and never managed to run more than 7kms without injury! Most of the time I spent trying to run was with teeth gritted, just trying to finish! BUT.....I have this urge to run! I had finally given up trying and then I read your book. I now realise how little strength I have in my feet and legs and, because of this my form is more like a crab in reverse! So, here goes....strength training and trying to improve form…