where it begins...
If you've made it here, you might be acquainted with the names Steve Sorenson and Jeff Rock. Steve is my bull-in-a-china-shop older brother who in the past two years has gone "ultra" crazy and Jeff is just...well, to quote his former next door neighbor,"You realize he's nuts right?" So yeah, these two are my inspiration.
Additionally, as I've watched my dad deal with Parkinson's disease the past 6 years or so I've come to learn two things:
1. Parkinson's Disease sucks.
2. While it's not hereditary, the chances of contracting it can be reduced by maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise.
Hence my motivation.
In February of 2014, Steve and Jeff emailed to let our running group -that at the time I was active with via email as opposed to actually running - know that they had both signed up for the 2014 Voyageur 50-Mile Trail Ultramarathon from Carlton, MN to Duluth, MN and back. Jeff also mentioned he had signed up for the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon that occurs two weeks prior to the Voyageur and that "[I] should sign up too because [I'd] love it." (Feel free to check out Jeff's story if you like: http://runningwithheart234.blogspot.com/ ).
Due to my innate inquisitiveness, I started reading - about Jeff's travails in his ultras, articles about how to become a runner when everything in your head tells you you can't do it and don't enjoy it, and even books by ultra-runners about running.
That was my first mistake. I started thinking I could do this. And then it happened. I got hooked.
Since my life has been filled with thinking about doing things, realizing they would be good for me, and then not doing them after realizing the work that would be involved, I've decided that this thought would be followed through on - even though my only experience in running had been at the 5K distance. Yup. No 5-milers, 10K's or half-marathons to ease into it. I decided to just shoot for training to complete a full marathon on the rocky trails and hills and valleys connecting the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, MN and the western fringes of Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton, MN after four months of training.
Call it a mid-life crisis if you will, but at least it's safer and cheaper than buying a new Corvette or bungee jumping in the Himalayas.
So that's why I started this blog - because I know my weaknesses and knew that I'd need some support to help me complete that goal. On Saturday, March 15 2014, I crafted a daily/weekly training schedule based on some of my research. It began Monday, March 17 and let's just say, in the first week, I wanted to quit. During a 3-mile run. On a treadmill. (Because Minnesota no longer has a spring season.)
However, with the support of my wife and kids, and those who know me, this blog kept me committed to finally following through on something that at first glance appeared impossible to me. I believe it is St. Francis of Assisi who is credited with saying, "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and soon you will be doing the impossible."
For me, living healthier was necessary, running was possible and the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon on July 12th, 2014 at one point looked impossible. But I tried to give 'er a run. (Pun intended.) And...I did it! (See archives for details.)
Since then, I'm still healthily addicted to trail running, have gotten a bit more educated about it and am setting my sights higher with each passing run and/or race.
Thanks for visiting, and don't be afraid to believe in yourself. With a bit of patience and a positive attitude, you can accomplish things you never dreamed possible!
--Stu
Additionally, as I've watched my dad deal with Parkinson's disease the past 6 years or so I've come to learn two things:
1. Parkinson's Disease sucks.
2. While it's not hereditary, the chances of contracting it can be reduced by maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise.
Hence my motivation.
In February of 2014, Steve and Jeff emailed to let our running group -that at the time I was active with via email as opposed to actually running - know that they had both signed up for the 2014 Voyageur 50-Mile Trail Ultramarathon from Carlton, MN to Duluth, MN and back. Jeff also mentioned he had signed up for the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon that occurs two weeks prior to the Voyageur and that "[I] should sign up too because [I'd] love it." (Feel free to check out Jeff's story if you like: http://runningwithheart234.blogspot.com/ ).
Due to my innate inquisitiveness, I started reading - about Jeff's travails in his ultras, articles about how to become a runner when everything in your head tells you you can't do it and don't enjoy it, and even books by ultra-runners about running.
That was my first mistake. I started thinking I could do this. And then it happened. I got hooked.
Since my life has been filled with thinking about doing things, realizing they would be good for me, and then not doing them after realizing the work that would be involved, I've decided that this thought would be followed through on - even though my only experience in running had been at the 5K distance. Yup. No 5-milers, 10K's or half-marathons to ease into it. I decided to just shoot for training to complete a full marathon on the rocky trails and hills and valleys connecting the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, MN and the western fringes of Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton, MN after four months of training.
Call it a mid-life crisis if you will, but at least it's safer and cheaper than buying a new Corvette or bungee jumping in the Himalayas.
So that's why I started this blog - because I know my weaknesses and knew that I'd need some support to help me complete that goal. On Saturday, March 15 2014, I crafted a daily/weekly training schedule based on some of my research. It began Monday, March 17 and let's just say, in the first week, I wanted to quit. During a 3-mile run. On a treadmill. (Because Minnesota no longer has a spring season.)
However, with the support of my wife and kids, and those who know me, this blog kept me committed to finally following through on something that at first glance appeared impossible to me. I believe it is St. Francis of Assisi who is credited with saying, "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and soon you will be doing the impossible."
For me, living healthier was necessary, running was possible and the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon on July 12th, 2014 at one point looked impossible. But I tried to give 'er a run. (Pun intended.) And...I did it! (See archives for details.)
Since then, I'm still healthily addicted to trail running, have gotten a bit more educated about it and am setting my sights higher with each passing run and/or race.
Thanks for visiting, and don't be afraid to believe in yourself. With a bit of patience and a positive attitude, you can accomplish things you never dreamed possible!
--Stu