Category: Trail Runs and Triathlons

 

When I was younger, running was easy. Breaking a six minute mile was fairly effortless. In today’s context, it is nearly impossible. After taking some time off from consistent running, I decided to get back into it a little more seriously. While I have been running sporadically for most of my life, I certainly wasn’t training like when I ran track in high school or cross country/road races in college. In my post-college years I would go months at at time without running much at all. It was not long ago that I decided that I wanted to run a six minute mile again. I have developed a fairly simple plan to work toward that goal, balancing work and other responsibilities. I run 30 minutes a day, either outside or inside on the treadmill, and as part of that time I make sure to run a small portion at a 6:00 per mile pace increasing the portion each day.

I started with running 2 tenths of a mile at a 6:00 pace and I then increase that by .01 each day. So the first day .20, the next day .21, etc. If I can maintain this schedule then I should be able to run a half mile at a 6:00 mile pace in a month and achieve my six minute mile in three months. Now I recognize that there is a limit to this progression, and by that I mean that I would not be able to maintain this pattern long enough to run a marathon at a 6:00 per mile pace. However, for what I want to achieve it is doable.

This is a metaphor for many things in life. I fully believe that measured progress is the best way to achieve personal and financial goals. A college degree, a job promotion, a million dollars, etc. Whatever your goal may be, I feel that most goals you could imagine can be achieved with measured progress. It takes planning, commitment and perseverance, but it is possible. Think on those things you want to achieve, develop a plan and then meticulously work toward that goal. The race is not won at the finish line, it is won in the hours of preparation and training. In the same way, goals are not achieved at the last minute, but are achieved through consistent and methodical progress.

A few years ago while attending a conference in Naples, Italy, I took the afternoon off and took an unplanned and unexpected dip in the harbor overlooking Mt. Vesuvius.  I had brought my son along on the trip and we were enjoying a nice walk down the waterfront when we each had the same thought.  We saw the locals enjoying some tiny little specks of beach along the water and the sun was awfully hot that day.  My son and I were not really dressed for the beach or for swimming, however, walking down the boardwalk we noticed that the water looked very inviting.  Once we hit the water in the clothes we were wearing, we floated around a while glancing over at Vesuvius and the moment just seemed surreal.  The moment did not last too long and we resumed our journey, but the break was worth it.

Sometimes in life it is best to just take a chance and enjoy the moment.  The water was not the cleanest (it is, after all, a very busy harbor with many ships coming and going), we were not prepared, but we enjoyed the swim nevertheless.  I am not the most spontaneous person, but when I am, it is usually quite enjoyable.

For the past few years I have fully embraced into the whole triathlon movement, which usually involves early mornings like this early morning pictured in Pinellas County, Florida.  I primarily race in Sprint triathlons, but I have completed Olympic triathlons and will try my first half Ironman (70.3) later this year. I am not sure if I ever have a full Ironman within me but at least I will try the half. Overall, the triathlon experience has been a very rewarding one.

A couple of years ago I participated in an Olympic triathlon in Miami, which provided one of those very memorable experiences.  In the Escape to Miami Triathlon, participants rise very early (between 4:30 and 5:30 am) to take a ferry out to Escape Island in the middle of Biscayne Bay. The race involves an approximately one mile swim from the island back to the mainland, followed by a 26 mile bike ride and a 10K run. While I was waiting for the race to begin, and, if I admit it, also feeling a little bit sorry for myself that it was raining and it was early and I had a long way to go, I noticed one particular participant who gathered quite a following. It was obvious that the man was a local celebrity and, as I looked closer, I discovered why. While I was rubbing my two arms to stay warm, this man did not have arms to rub. As it turns out, he had begun his triathlon journey following a bad accident at work that resulted in the loss of both arms. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and marveled at how a man with no arms could complete such an arduous task. Yet, with a specially modified wheelchair and specially modified bike, he was able to finish. I am still not sure how he managed the swim, as I was struggling just to finish it myself, I do know that he completed the race. That visual inspiration still carries me today through countless early triathlon mornings.

 

Since I would like to see every country in the world, I have to stay somewhat healthy. I like to run but I am not exactly a marathoner. I have completed two marathons, Miami and the Space Coast Marathons in Florida, but I prefer half-marathons. The most difficult half-marathon I have completed is the Xterra Trail Run National Championship outside of Ogden, Utah. The race is held at Snowbasin Resort with the low point at 6,133 feet and the high point just shy of 7,300 feet and about 2,200 feet of climbing overall. It was tough and I was slow, but I wasn’t last.