Hey everyone,
It’s Monday evening, less than 7 days till the start of the Badwater Ultramarathon. It’s a little hard to describe what I’m feeling, but the feeling will intensify as I get closer to race day. All the memories of last year are rushing back to me and it feels so good.
One positive going into it was the relaxed 4:53 50k I ran on Angel Island with 4200 ft. elevation gain. I felt very comfortable and very at ease keeping my pace at an even keel without stressing myself to the point of injury. I feel like I’m beginning to peak and my many late night runs will finally pay dividends.
It’s been a tough year overall, with my first two DNFs, experiences getting lost on course, altitude sickness at Western States 100 and overall sub-par performances from what I’ve been used to or been building towards. But in spite of that, this one race can change all that. One race. For me, this is the Super Bowl of my running year, the crown jewel of what I’ve been building towards. For all the things that haven’t gone right this year, one race can wipe that all away. While admittedly the sickness at Western States leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that I would love to wash away in 2008, right now this is the race. I want to rise to the occasion when the stakes were the highest. Last year’s race was about survival, but this year’s race is about taking it to that next level. One race, one journey, one moment (or one collection of moments). Whatever time goals or place goals I have, I’ll keep them to myself. Surpassing it all is the goal of representing the Lord well in all ways: strong when weak, wise when foolish and faithful when hopeless.
As I prepare to look down the starting line at my fellow competitors, I feel nothing but respect and love in my heart. I pray that the Lord would bless each of their journeys, wherever that may take them. While the competitor in me always strives to be number one, the respect and love in my heart is like no other competition I’ve every known.
That’s all for now; I’ll write more on Friday before I leave for the Valley. My uncle will update the site during the race. You can follow the webcast starting Monday morning at http://www.badwater.com/. Stay strong and keep movin’.
God bless,
Gundy
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Badwater Looming
Hey everyone,
I know it's been a couple weeks since I last updated, and with the Badwater Ultramarathon closing in, I figured I probably need to update this more often. My Uncle Andy will be updating the site during the race, but for now, I want to let everyone know what was going on. The hardest part of training the last couple weeks has nothing to do with running. It's been the stretching. Stretching is by far the hardest thing for me to get better at. I've been diligent for a little while now, but even then trying to make sure I carve out the time to do it right is the hardest part. So, if you have any tips on getting more limber, please feel free to let me know.
The easy part has been the running. I've had a 70 mile week and a 100 mile week the last couple weeks, which has been great. I'm looking to get another 100 mile week in before an 8 day taper. Unlike some others, I enjoy staying sharp by getting those runs in, even a couple weeks before the event.I've incorporated into my training a lot of night runs. Over the last couple weeks, I've done three late night runs, starting anywhere between 10 pm and 3 am. This is because I'm trying to make sure I can fight through the fatigue of the Badwater as well as future 100 mile runs. Everyone slows down in the evening hours, but if I can limit that, it will make me that much stronger overall.I am so excited for Badwater! I can't wait to be out there with my crew. Most of my crew is new to the race, so I'm excited to introduce them to Death Valley and Mt. Whitney. Climbing Whitney when the race ends will be a new thing for me, and going back almost 4 years after I first climbed it will be special. The biggest aspect, as I get more and more of those pre-race jitters, will be my mental and spirtual preparation. In particular, when my prayer life and connection with the Lord is strong, I become a stronger runner. When it is weak, I can feel it when the hard times come running. So, I ask that each of you say a prayer for me as I pray both for myself as well as for my crew. The challenge of Badwater is unique, and being in Death Valley continually reminds me that my life is not my own, but rather belongs to the Lord to do with as he wishes.
Thanks again for all your support, I love you all out there and pray for you all. You are the best. Stay strong and keep movin'.
God bless,
Gundy
I know it's been a couple weeks since I last updated, and with the Badwater Ultramarathon closing in, I figured I probably need to update this more often. My Uncle Andy will be updating the site during the race, but for now, I want to let everyone know what was going on. The hardest part of training the last couple weeks has nothing to do with running. It's been the stretching. Stretching is by far the hardest thing for me to get better at. I've been diligent for a little while now, but even then trying to make sure I carve out the time to do it right is the hardest part. So, if you have any tips on getting more limber, please feel free to let me know.
The easy part has been the running. I've had a 70 mile week and a 100 mile week the last couple weeks, which has been great. I'm looking to get another 100 mile week in before an 8 day taper. Unlike some others, I enjoy staying sharp by getting those runs in, even a couple weeks before the event.I've incorporated into my training a lot of night runs. Over the last couple weeks, I've done three late night runs, starting anywhere between 10 pm and 3 am. This is because I'm trying to make sure I can fight through the fatigue of the Badwater as well as future 100 mile runs. Everyone slows down in the evening hours, but if I can limit that, it will make me that much stronger overall.I am so excited for Badwater! I can't wait to be out there with my crew. Most of my crew is new to the race, so I'm excited to introduce them to Death Valley and Mt. Whitney. Climbing Whitney when the race ends will be a new thing for me, and going back almost 4 years after I first climbed it will be special. The biggest aspect, as I get more and more of those pre-race jitters, will be my mental and spirtual preparation. In particular, when my prayer life and connection with the Lord is strong, I become a stronger runner. When it is weak, I can feel it when the hard times come running. So, I ask that each of you say a prayer for me as I pray both for myself as well as for my crew. The challenge of Badwater is unique, and being in Death Valley continually reminds me that my life is not my own, but rather belongs to the Lord to do with as he wishes.
Thanks again for all your support, I love you all out there and pray for you all. You are the best. Stay strong and keep movin'.
God bless,
Gundy
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