This morning, I went to a trail race in the Cleveland National Forest.

I had an epiphany. Physical fitness notwithstanding, my mind is always going to be my biggest obstacle.

During the last two miles, we had to take on steep hills. My mind kept fighting me "you're done, you're out of breath, start walking" and I kept pushing, Running. The more I pushed, the louder the voice in my head got. Until one point where the voice was gone. And I kept pushing.

Bottom line: practice recognizing these tricks your mind plays on you and practice moving them out the way. As we become more familiar with these situations, we grow more confident in our abilities. Confidence in ourselves is what make us athletes.

When I run this

I feel like I am running tires like these guys

Have you experienced this? What I am doing wrong here?

I think the holiday season is as good as thanksgiving and give us an opportunity to be thankful.

When I started running years back, I was "doing my own thing" but was rather aimless.

Fast forward to 2013. Eric's book. I started reading voraciously, training, practicing (balance board, people!) and this past summer, I attended Coach Orton's camp  in WY. What an experience!

Slowly things have evolved. I started shaving time off my 50K PB, by one hour, and another hour. And another. My body feels stronger. Recovers faster. My mindset has changed. The adversity, the fear are all moved out of the way as they come up. 

My first 50 miles race was in November. Weather and ill health got me to miss the cut-off. But the following week-end marked my best time ever.

I have signed up for American River 50 miles in march of next year. I'll be running with elite runners.  And in may, I will be running the BTR (Born To Run) 100 miles.

I could not have done that without Eric's guidance.

Thank you. Happy holidays!

I always wonder what's a runner to do when it comes to days when you can't run.

Say, you are on a training plan and you're set to run 30 miles next Sunday. You can't make it because your employer is sending you at the last minute to visit a customer across the country. You'll be in flying all week end long.

What do you do? Do you push this missing day to the following Sunday? Do you just ignore it and move on to the next run?

As I got more experienced, I have experimented both ways either by NOT making up for a "lost" day and making up for it. It seems that the latter is actually more detrimental in terms of fatigue.

What do you do?

Thirty years ago, I was a teenage soccer and rugby fanatic. Quick on my feet, good sprinter and good strategist made a great pick for regional and local games. I was, to be fair, a kid in great shape.

Fast forward to five years ago.  Married, kids, work promotions, working through the night and week ends, eating on the run made me a successful yet unhappy and severely unhealthy, overweight forty-something man.

At that point, I chose to retake control of my life. Not let it control me. I started running. And feeling better. And loving the challenge in every run. Rain or shine, well rested or not. 

My body though, would not cooperate. And periodically break down. Muscle pulls, ankle sprains, high arches needing insoles, IT band making my life miserable, and most recently Patellofemoral syndrome (PFS). Four weeks of physical therapy.

From one injury to the next, I have recovered. I have gotten stronger and smarter about my body and my running. Yet, I still break down.

Should I conclude that running is out of the question? Is it the inevitable fact?  Why can I PR a 5K at age 48 (24:26) and cannot get my knees to cooperate?

My Cool Impossible (running fifty 50Ks by age 50K) has been within reach, getting ever closer every year, yet vanishing in an instant every injury.

But I was wrong. My Cool Impossible is not about conquering the outdoors, one 50K at a time.

It's about grit, courage and resolve. It's about banishing my fear of getting old. It's about accepting my flaws and strengths. I'll get stronger, smarter and older. Embrace it all. Beyond fear. Beyond limits.