Sunday, May 30, 2010

what a week!

first off thanks to all of my family and friends who support me through all my adventures, even if they do think i am carzy at times.

#1 finished my second week of crossfit which has not been easy but i have found that i enjoy the challenges it teaches me and how i can push my self through pain. this in return thus far has helped me in daily life with a better attitude daily towrd challenges and also with my training for my 100 mile race which is approaching very fast July 31 will be here all to fast. for those who don't know what crossfit is, please google it, as it is very hard to explain, BC when i do people think i';m crazy but they may be right...... the jury is still out on that one.

#2 the heat and humidity

that's right the heat and humidity have made a come back to good ole ohio and boy has it been a bear.... coping with it again is like learning to walk or drive a car from scratch. slow and steady is the way.
i found this out on my first couple of short runs and crossfit workouts,hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, is all i can say or you'll pay.

#3 Night owl 50 mile fat ass

on friday night may 29th, i met my running friend Jerry for a semi organized/unorganized 50 mile fat ass night run. it was gonna be a blast and it was.
So i showed up at 8pm at happy days like discussed and was pleased to see about 10 people total! what a plus. some i knew some from running and some i would meet for the first time. all i can say about first timers is way to go. one in particular was a girl named lindsey this girl ran with us the first 17 miles and she never took the smile off her face it was awesome, it was also her longest run and first night run. great job to her.
in my usual sherpa fashion i showed up like a traveling aide station 3L golite rush hydro pack on, and two bottles of my favorote endurance drinks,one of clip and one of amnio both gret products ( from the makers of s caps). i also had my headlamp, sternum lamp, and a bunch of s-caps, and misc goodies in my pckets. i took the jokes form the crew and we headed off, into the night
the pace was fast and furious for the first 17 miles mostly due to the rabbits aka fast runners whom joined us. us slow ultra folks later paid the price for this but boy was it shaping up a great run.
happy days to the Xc trail, to the sound of music hills to the parking lot, refill rest. by this time i was soaked bc of the humidity and so was everyone else. then off into the woods to salt run loop and back to the lot. then off to the wet more trail that was...supposed to be accross the lot but we seemed to have a hard time finding it, maybe it was the darkness, who knows so that took a hot second, but we were like bloodhounds and found the trail. so off into the woods we ventured again, this time on wet more trail. they call it wet more for a reason, the thing never dries out, but to our suprise it was not that bad, lucky us. we made are way to the covered bridge and then the fast people called it a night and the die hards pressed on.
we departed onto perkins trails which was muddy dark, humid but other wise enjoyable, we mostly walked or slogged through this portion though. back to the covered bridge to get some much need water, and food then off to oneil woods. we heard the frogs singing, and boy what a chorus.then the mysterious fog rolled in, it was thick, and mysterious. we made it to oneil woods and now turn ed around to repeat it all over until back to happy days.
The Return:
was slow , and even painful at times due to our fast pace at the start but we adjusted. we made it back to the covered bridge where my wife had agreed to meet up with pizza and it was like an oasis! it was so good and just the pick me up we needed. then departed and off we slogged, as the dawn came we noticed features of the trails we had not noticed earlier bc of the dark, but i was enjoyable.we felt aches and pain ups and downs. i overcame some nausea and other overcame hallucinations and just plain tiredness.
i made it back to the car in 12 hours 30 minutes tired, muddy and dirty. but i love a good muddy trail! this run was a confidence booster i needed, no injuries , and only tow blisters one on each of my small toes. not to bad. thanks jerry for organizing the run, and to everyone else who showed up to run, it wouldn't have been the same experience with out you all. now back to training for the BR 100 this july. it will be here before i know it.
Lastly happy holiday everyone , and hope you enjoy your memorial day.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

HOW your dollars are spent for MS

How Your Fundraising Helps
i run for MS right now so that future generations won't have to. i runfior MS because this is a battle we can, and should, win. it's through your support and participation in my run MS event that men, women and children stay connected to the dream of one day finding a cure. i RuN for them, for their families and caregivers. this is what your money goes to:

$25 will provide a reacher for someone with MS.
$60 will provide a shower chair with a back for one individual with MS.
$150 will provide a cooling vest kit for someone with MS.
$240 will provide a day of respite care for a family affected by MS.
$500 will provide a manual wheelchair for one individual with MS.
$750 will provide a portable ramp for one individual with MS.

please help out.

www.main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/jonpaul

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Misc thoughts about how my training for the 2010 BR100 is coming along

as yo may or may not know, i have set out to complete and compete in this year Burning river 100. this race is a 100 mile endurance race that cover 100 miles on trails through NE Ohio. this year it is also the USA track and field 100 mile championships which is pretty cool! great way to get the word out that NE Ohio has a great trails to run on and an even greater community of dedicated trail runners.
My motivation for the race this year is mostly of revenge for unfinished business from last year's BR100 that i DNF "did nothing fatal" i had to drop at 84 miles bc of stomach issues. this year is different. i run with more passion better prepared but also for a cause. my cause is for MS. MS has touched my life personally this last year and it is now what keeps me motivated to keep moving and to keep running.

Infact it MS has opened my eyes about things we take for granted and bc of this and my connection i am using the BR 100 as a fund raiser to raise funds for MS research. i also am touched bc one of my best friends from college, his mom had MS and recently passed away, so this race will be for her and all those people living with MS in their life.

my fundraising page can be found at :

www.main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/jonpaul

BR100 training update:
nutrition: better thought out and targeted and also tried and tested at old pueblo 50 miler in Arizona that was in march... success

Mileage: on target and happy with averaging about 45-60miles a week a bit low but very happy. focus is on quality no quantity this year. feel great about this, especially since i am a night owl and work 12 hr nights training can be hard to get sometimes.

injury: none to speak of nock on wood healthy this year no aches or serious pain or injuries. Blisters are my only foe, and have ataget these issues with new socks and better foot prep so far so good,thanks to the book "fixing your feet" a must read for any endurance athlete.

Equipment: tested and got a new hydration pack golite Rush lots of storage with 3L capability and has waist pockets for goodies and two bottle holder on pack. this is great for my Amino and clip 2 drinks. ( both by succeed! the makers of s caps)

new sternum light works great, shoes sticking with and love the inov8 flyroc 310's last a great time and excellent tread life.

to be tested still kineysis sunscreen got sponsored this year seem s like a good product so far will post more later.


Cross Training: started a crossfit endurance (cross training program) so far so good i ache but it is a good ache, its only the second week but feel i will see great returns if not by the BR100 but for future utlras. huge thanks to SPC crossfit in Hudson OH and toby the owner. its a solid program!

"survial" the end of my first week of crossfit

i am very excited and proud of my self this week as it is the end to my first of many weeks/months to come of my a crossfit training program. this first week was by no means easy but very rewarding, i found ways to be sore that i never new existed but overall had great satisfaction in knowing that i could do this. crossfit is nothing special but totally unique for me, especially as being a runner and only doing the typical running and some cross training to keep in shape that runners require.

this week i gues coild be summed up as a total ass kicking for me, bc of the pain and soreness that i felt,unlike typical aches and pains from running. i must say that i do look forward to these 3 to 4 workouts per week and can't wait to go back for and start my second week will start monday!
best of all everyone there are from all walks of life and everyone is totally supportive of each other and very motivating, i may be a beginner but i already feel like i am a regular and fit in. this is very important to me!

thanks to everyone at SPC crossfit in Hudson, see you all again soon

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

My newest adventure "crossfit"

recently i was browsing the local running store's message board and under the training section and came about a very intersting link. the local crossfit gym in hudson had issued a challenge of sorts to all runners, that went something along the lines of this. we will train you for free, for your next race, improve your overall conditioning, speed and well being and if you aren't satisfied the owner would buy you any pair of shoes from the local running store for free. Not a bad deal i thought but the catchwas this was only open to the firstperson to reply to the post.
So i thought well why not so i replied on may 9th , thinking no way i was gonna be the first, well i was wrong the next day may 10 i had a reply and i was indeed the first.
So on the that firiday i headed down to SPC crossfit in Hudson to their gym called "the barn" to get the scoop of what i was in for. I was now really excited but at the same time a bit anxious. but we will have to see how it plays out!