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Run Los Run

The female electronic voice from iPod (Mark VI) earbuds fills my head. "Congratulations, you've completed your 30 minute run." Her words trail off into the early morning darkness near the Costco Wholesale Corporate Lake as I remove them. The metrics are nothing to write home to Jesse James Wise about. Or any other of my fitness freak friends (said with all the love in my heart, by the way) But it's a record for me. Since you don't my history, then you don't understand the impact.

I snicker as the tsunami of memories flood my mind with memories from long ago. Why do I run? Because I wasn't competitive or talented enough for ball sports (e.g. football, basketball) or stick-and-ball sports (e.g. baseball, softball, lacrosse) Mind you, I could play and capable enough. I wasn't never good enough for coaches to accept me after tryouts. So I ran, and ran fast. Like the wind! Finally, something I can do and do well. Propel myself through a variety of terrains at high rate of speed. Perfect, as I love to travel fast. I dove into track and cross-country. Mostly endurance racing of 800 meter, and 3 mile to 5 mile races. I thoroughly enjoyed pacing and grinding out the task yet watching the competition falter as I blow pass. Eventually, I would help Brier Terrace Middle School reached the State competition, and move on to high school. I also learned a hard lesson in arrogance as I lost a race at the finish line, thinking I had it won.

At Mountlake Terrace HS, I established myself quickly as a leader through dedication and hard work ethic ... for myself. I honestly think anyone, let alone my team, was paying attention to what I was doing. Apparently, they did as they voted me Hardest Worker of the Year for 4 years. The team elected me to be captain of the cross country team my senior year. I was ecstatic! During the summer prior to my senior year start, I was doing off-season training. I stepped off a sidewalk incorrectly and twisted my ankle which sent me tumbling to the asphalt. Instead of properly healing, rehabbing it, I rested a grand total of 3 days, then continued with high-level regimen. Until my knee starting to ache. Then my hip. Finally my lower back. I sought out the medical advice of my doctor; Dr Ronald Waltz.

He delivered devastating news with candor that only I truly appreciate and understand. He advised that I can keep running with the tendonitis that I am complaining about. Eventually, and quickly, my ACL will tear apart. Then he'll do reconstructive surgery on my tendon. He explain that a tendon is like a rubber band with that type of elasticity. However, once broken that the structural integrity has been compromised I'll never run again, and walk with a limp the rest of my life on the planet. Or quit running immediately, allow my body to heal, then slowly introduce running into my life. By doctor's orders, I was sidelined as the captain of the cross-country team for the entirety of my senior, and final year. Awesome, I grumbled. My own foolish pride, and determination (some would say stubbornness) caused this situation.

Fast forward 7 years into the future, to my Tae Kwon Do training. I had a quiet belief that my knee could tolerate it. Sure enough, it held together long enough to earn my 1st black belt in TKD. I thought, it's been 7 years, I should start running again. With (unknowingly) improper foot attire, and on concrete, that lasted a grand total of 5 minutes.

Fast forward another 10 years into the future to year 35 of my life. Let's try this running business yet again. This time around, I researched the proper shoes for me, the terrain, and more.

Still propelling this timeline forward to November 2014. I don't know if my girlfriend, Cher, was being facetious or playful or spontaneous, but she declared that Ragnar 2015 has my name on it.

WHAT THE WHAT?!

A slight tangent. For 2014, I misunderstood her when she mentioned Ragnar Relay Race. I thought she said Rancor Race. This is also in the same context that she declared herself a Star Wars geek. She joked and corrected me to Ragnar. Her quote was hilarious, "Although, I admit I would be more motivated to run for my life if a Rancor was on the race track chasing the pack." I fired back, "That's not much motivation, as you don't have to be the fastest, just not the slowest. Those peeps get eaten."


Ahem! I digress.

At long last, we're are finally to this morning. Knowing that 12 runners have 4 race segments each of varying lengths (3 to 8 miles) in a 24 hour period, I started gearing up for this event. I've been steadily knocking down 3 to 4 mile runs in the morning for a sustained pace of 7-8 minutes per mile. My knee is holding up, my breathe isn't wheezing, and my energy level (soul) feel good. Seven months remain between now and ignition. If I keep digging, I project that'll I'll be able to complete Ragnar. Wish me luck!


This has been my C-Note.

'los; out

#DSWgiftcard #runningisFUNtastic #NikePlus #MarkVI #rockoutwithyourMarkout


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