Thru Endurance We Conquer!

Homeostasis - any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival. The body's mechanistic for balancing out within the narrow confines established for survival and maintaining the delicate equilibrium that is life. From temperature to blood pressure, blood sugar to respiratory rate, there are preset "normals" and normal ranges for each physiological condition. The human body is amazing in its ability to detect and regulate when we fall outside the preset normals. One of the best examples is temperature control - if we get cold, we start shivering. If we get hot, we start sweating. If things start falling outside the preset ranges and the compensation strategies are no longer working, most normal people show predictable and linear declines in function, like a river flowing downstream at a high rate of speed. As athletes, we've used training to modify where our preset normal range falls. It's not uncommon for an ...

After the urgent care visit, I tried getting back into somewhat of a normal routine. Sleeping sucked, as did trying to get comfortable on the couch. I needed five pillows behind my back sitting on the couch or I wasn't able to lean forward at all to stand. Even trying to lay on the couch was hard and so painful. As a PT, I know exactly how to move and what motor planning is required for going from laying on my back to on my side or for going from sidelying to sitting upright - but implementing? As Nick put it, there was plenty of whimpering every time I tried moving. Of course, I was also trying to be stubborn and do it all myself. I never said I was smart! Sunday - four days since the crash, I decided to try my first "workout." Nothing fancy, just 30 minutes on the trainer. Shouldn't be too hard - after all, I'd pedaled that 30 minutes back to Cam's house after the crash! First few minutes felt great. Then it got progressively worse and worse. I barely made...

Sometimes, you know before impact that this is going to be bad and its going to hurt. My crash on Nov 13th was one of those times. I knew as the series of events unfolded that this might finally be the one that takes me out. It all started with a root. A slightly damp root covered in about six inches of leaf debris. I hit that root at just the wrong angle and with just a little too much speed. My rear tire slid out, shooting me to the left. I was almost able to correct, just upright and ready to pedal out of it. And then... My left hand hit a small tree, sending me careening back to the right. There was no coming back from that one. I was airborne - the only question remaining was what the leaves covered as I plummeted towards the ground. The pain upon impact was immediate. I’d landed hard on a series of roots, my entire right rib cage perpendicular with the roots. Along with the pain came the scream, like that of a dying animal as everything registered in my brain. Nick was at my si...

That phrase can mean so much to an ultra runner. To the end - to the finish line, the end of the race. To the end - to see the race to the final conclusion no matter if it’s the finish line or chasing cutoff. It also reflects the mindset of those last volunteers, the ones welcoming the back of the pack runners to the finish line. It’s a long day for the runners, but even longer for those tail end volunteers. But that is what we are there for! There is nothing more inspiring then watching runners reach the goals they’ve worked for for months. The cheers of the family, the tears from the runner. The front runners never see that, especially if they just cross the line and then head out for a shower. Even if there is an awards ceremony, all the attention is devoted to the athletes on the podium, not the athletes finishing at the same time. So the only people who are there for those finishers are the family and the volunteers waiting. Volunteering is one of the things I want to do more ...

The trail is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. I’m not sure we’d even call this a trail back home. Maybe a goat trail. But there’s a faint line in the fallen leaves, winding around the trees. And those trees have the trademark white blaze posted on them. So I’m still on the trail, despite what it looks like. This is not Colorado trail running. This is Arkansas trail running and it’s one of the most challenging and enjoyable races I’ve done this year.   Follow the white blazes for the Ozark Highlands Trail Razorback Running Revival at Lake Fort Smith State Park, on the famed Ozark Highlands Trail was a late addition to the running calendar. It was a chance to explore a new area of the country, run and ride on some new trails and see some old friends. It’s also fun to be a part of history with a new race - while there are bound to be a few hiccups, it’s always an adventure to be the first. I knew Human Potential will put on a great race, filled with adventure and adversity. ...