It's obvious I have not been blogging lately about my road to ultramarathoning. The truth is, as my mileage has been increasing, other things have had to take a back seat. During this time of absence, I have had many questions arise from friends, family, and co-workers. With this, I thought that the best thing to do was put those most common questions out there and answer them. If you have a question that I did not address, please ask, I would be more than happy to answer it.
1. How do you balance running, work, and home life?
A: There is no balance that I have figured out yet. My typical week day goes like this: I leave for work at 6am, work until 3:30pm, pick up the boys after work, go home and start dinner, and get the boys started on their homework. My wife gets home in time for dinner, we eat, then I shoot out the door to run. I usually get home in time to tuck the boys into bed at 8 or 8:30pm. I then shower and fall asleep on the couch. Saturdays are usually my long runs. I am gone before the family gets up and usually home by Noon. This is the day I will typically do anywhere from a marathon to 50 miles. Sundays I try to keep it short (15-20 miles), home in time for church and I spend the rest of the day with the family. We have always dedicated this day as a family day, so I try not to intrude on it as much as possible. The problem that has developed is very little interaction with my wife and things that need getting done around the house never seem to get done. My wife, who by all rights should be labeled as a saint, has not only put up with me and my "extremism" for 13 years of marriage, also figures out ways we can spend more time together. Each morning on her way to work, she calls me and we talk for that 20 minutes it takes her to get to work after dropping the boys off at school. While she makes the effort, I know that I must too.
2. Aren't you afraid that your knees, joints, hips, etc. are going to give out and become torn up?
A. Nope! I believe that if you run properly and in appropriate shoes, you should not have these issues. The problem is that most people who have these issues are either running incorrectly, or are running is the wrong shoe, or are running in over engineered shoes. Many people will run and land with their leg fully extended causing a jolt to travel from their heal, up through the ankle, through the knee, through the hip, and into the back. Additionally, like any type of training, your joints will build up the necessary lubricants and cartilage needed. Our bodies are an amazing thing.
3. Don't you have to rest for several days after a marathon distance or beyond?
A. If I did that, I would only run once a month! Again, our bodies are an amazing work. As you train for longer distances, your body becomes accustom to that and recovers quicker. I remember the first marathon I ran. I was beat, my legs could barely hold me up, and I hurt for a week after. In November, I did 2 marathons in one day. The first I ran at 4:41, the second at 4:35 on the same course. Three days later, I felt fully recovered. I brought those time up because the other question is: you must run them slow, right? While I am not a fast marathoner, my single marathon times are usually around 3:30 and done on trails.
4. You must eat anything you want, right?
A. No, I don't. I still watch what I eat. I still limit my sweets, high fat foods, and stay away from fast food as much as possible. I also watch eating/drinking anything with high fructose corn syrup in it. This is actually a joke that goes around our house. Even my boys ask if things have high fructose corn syrup in it. However, after a 4, 5, or 6 hour run, I crave hamburgers and will have no problem eating one.
5. Do you take any supplements?
A. Yes. After each run, I take protein. I also take multi-vitamins, glucosomine, and chondroitin.
Well, those are the top five questions I get, but there is still one that gets asked more than all the others.
Why do you do it? What makes you want to run that far?
A. I do it because I enjoy being outdoors, on the trails and seeing the beauty of the world that God created. It is also a personal quest. I have always felt that I did sports because others thought that I should. This is a personal journey and I have learned a lot about myself. Not only am I learning how far I can push my body, but how I can be a better person. Sounds funny, I know. See, I do not run and listen to music. This gives me more time to reflect on things in my life; where I've been, where I want to go, how to be a better dad, and how to be a better husband.
I hope this has answered most of your questions, but if not, please feel free to ask more. I'd be happy to answer.
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