Monday, March 22, 2010

Get light, get loose and get fast!

I can’t believe it is here already. I’m referring to taper time. With only one month to go before the 24-hour run I need to start backing down off the huge miles I have been putting in and rest the legs. For the last five months my training has consisted of pounding out as many miles and as many hours as my body would allow me to go. The last couple months have been rough. In February I ran more miles than I have ever done in one month in my life. nearly 400 miles! My average distance per run was 17 miles. The first half of March was not what I had planned. I’ve been battling a foot injury and instead of spending 3 hours a day running like I had planned, I’m spending 1 hour running and 2 hours on the bike so I can heal the foot. The long runs are still in the 30-60 mile range. Everyday my alarm goes off at 4 am and with the first steps of the day my legs remind me what I have been putting them through for the last 5 months. I’m tired, I feel beat up and I’m looking forward to the taper. It’s time to start feeling good again. Time to get light, get loose and get fast.

Get light: Believe it or not. I can’t get down to my race weight when I’m running 100 miles a week. I just can’t stop eating. Especially after my weekend long run my body craves food for days. And it is not craving vegetables! It wants calories. Now that the real long runs and high mileage are behind me I will drop those last 5 pounds before run day. Believe me, carrying around 5 fewer pounds for 24 hours makes a big difference. Dieting may be the hardest part of the taper for me. I have the willpower to run for 24-hours but the cookie jar will break me every time. Seriously though, my diet will become very important in the last few weeks and the only things going in will be healthy foods and plenty of water.

Get loose: I stretch for a good half hour almost every day and I spend lots of time in the hot tub, but because of the constant training every day I typically wake up sore and stiff. My legs, my core, my feet and ankles, my hips have all been working overtime and as a result they are always just a little tight. That’s about to change. With the reduced mileage I will spend more time stretching and massaging the legs and do more cross training to improve mobility and flexibility.

Get fast: For 5 month I’ve been pounding out the miles for hour after hour. The focus on my training has all been about mileage. To go along with the get light and get loose, now I will also get fast. The workouts will be much shorter and much more intense. In the next 3 weeks I’ll work on the cardio and getting really fit.

When the sun comes up on the morning of April 22nd I’ll be 100% recovered from the 6 months of heavy training and the body will feel fresh. I will be lean and I’ll be fit. I feel really good about my training. It hasn’t always gone the way that I wrote it up but that’s to be expected. I’ve pushed to the breaking point and listened when my body said it needed a rest. Nothing left to do but Go the Distance.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Dinner Auction Time!

Auction Time:

The Franklin Dinner Auction is coming up on March 20th and this event will kick off our fundraising for Go the Distance. Go the Distance will have a few things going on at the Auction that I think are pretty exciting.

Believe it or not the Dinner Auction is where this whole thing started for me. I really didn’t plan for this 24 hour run to be what it has become. I originally proposed it as a Dinner Auction item. My idea was to have a sign up sheet at a table where people could pledge $.25, $.50, $1.00, whatever per mile and then I’d go out to the track a month later and see how far I could go. The basic premise of the event is the same but the size, scope and need for the funds has grown considerably. Gina Anixter deserves the credit for taking my simple idea and turning it into a real event and hopefully a big fundraiser. She stepped in on day one and basically said if you’re going to run for 24 hours we’re going to do this right! From there the team assembled and has been working hard ever since. (See the blog post on the Go the Distance team below.)

So for the Silent Auction we will still stick with the original plan to have a table and a pledge sheet out where you may make a flat rate donation or you can make a pledge per mile and make me work for the money. Any donations of $150 and up or $1.50 per mile and up and we will put your name on the website sponsor page as an event supporter! Or maybe put your kids name up there. Who wouldn’t want that? All money raised here will go towards supporting health and fitness programs at Franklin School. So drink up and I’ll be seeing you there with my pledge sheet!

Go the Distance will also be donating three live Auction items.

“Final lap” – Friday morning the kids of Franklin School, parents and media will assemble at the track’s edge as the 24-hour clock ticks down. With just minutes on the clock two children will get to join me on what will be the “Final lap” and the three of us will cross the finish line to the cheers of 500 people and live morning news coverage. (disclaimer: morning news coverage has been confirmed but no guarantee.) I had to throw the disclaimer in there just in case Gavin Maloof’s cat gets stuck in a tree and the entire Sacramento media has to be on scene to cover it.


“VIP Tent” – The VIP Tent will sit trackside and will include 10 Franklin 5k race entries and event t-shirts as well as dinner for 20 people. Plus, front row seating for the start and finish of the 5k race and of course front row seating to watch the drama unfold as I slowly run in circles. I’m not sure how to make that part sound exciting. Great item for a few families to go in on together.


“First Pitch” – One child will get to live out the dream of a lifetime and throw out the first pitch in a professional baseball game. On May 23rd, the Sacramento River Cats will recognize Go the Distance for our efforts to promote the health and fitness of children. Your Franklin student (Sorry Dads this one’s not for you.) will join me on the mound as Go the Distance is honored, then as I hand over the game ball in front of a packed house, your child will throw out the first pitch to start the game. “Play Ball!” I’m sure they will get to keep the ball as a souvenir but I haven’t confirmed that yet. Really, why wouldn’t they?


Pretty good stuff huh? All the proceeds from the sale of these live auction items will go towards the auction proceeds and the PTC General fund. I hope to see everyone at the Auction. I hear they have done a fantastic job again this year and it’s a fun event for the parents and a great event for the school.