The Debut

October 10, 2010. This date will officially mark the day that I cross one more of my lifetime goals off my list and begin a hopefully successful chapter in competitive marathon running. That's right, I just registered for the Chicago Marathon. Im locked in. Since I ran my first half-The Disney World Half-in 2003 and had much success in it, I have always had the goal of trying the marathon. Am I nervous? Heck yes! From the number of painful stories I have heard about marathons, you'd think I just simply be scared out of my mind to do one. But there's something about a marathon that gives it a magical aura-maybe its the challenge. I have been told countless times that I am meant to be a marathoner. But until I try one, Ill never really know. My dad was an Olympic Trials Qualifier in the marathon after his 2:18 win at Vermont City, so its in the genes for sure. Physically, I know I can handle it. In college, I pushed 80-85 miles with no problem in training, and I have that long distance shuffle that is not really conducive to shorter races, but efficient for longer ones. So where will the potential barriers arise in this quest? Mentally. I know that the marathon is grueling and to date, I havent ever done a run over 15 miles. But if I properly train myself I know I can handle that aspect of it. I just read an article in Runner's World about Kara Goucher's mental battles and one of the strategies that she uses during races is to repeat a key strength word over and over in her head-in training and then in races. I will definitely be trying to employ this strategy in my own training.

After much persistance, I finally feel like I have the training partners to help me along in this quest and some will even be right there in Chicago with me. There's Emma Keenan, a recent graduate of CU, who will be also debuting in the marathon and is a talented runner who could have competed on CU's team. Emma's friend, Dave, previously in the Navy, and just finishing up an undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering. Michael Morgan, new to running, but not new to outdoor adventures and extreme sports, since he grew up in Frisco. Liz Smith, an accomplished UNC Charlotte middle distance runner, that ran her first marathon at Chicago last year and will be doing NYC this fall. Saul Evanoff, a CU senior and runner with similar goals to mine. And a new addition to the mix, Dan Simpson, a Boulder newbie from Rochester, NY, that is training for a Half Ironman and was a sick pole vaulter in college. And then of course, I have my Denver crew. Ashley Anderson will be joining me in Chicago. While Heather Utrata and Jaimlyn Kost will be competing at Rock and Roll Denver Marathon.

So now all I need is the training plan. And what better person to help me than my dad!

I cant wait to begin this journey, which I hope will lead me to great places (Goal: Olympic Trials 2012 or 2016). As of late, I have been feeling to urge to do something greater with my life. Yes, it was a challenge moving out to Colorado alone, getting a job and getting settled. But now that Im starting to adjust, I need to do more. For that is who I am. I live for the challenge and consider myself an adrenaline junkie. I see too many people settle into their life without experiencing the challenges. I often think: If I were gone tomorrow, would I have accomplished enough of what I wanted in my life? So the marathon is one challenge. Physical Therapy School will be another. I will be getting back into the academic world this summer as I take a Social Psychology class at CU and I am pumped, and then it will be on to the application! I also just got picked up by a coaching company called FastForward Sports so I will finally be able to start coaching people to achieve their own goals in running. And this weekend I will be getting trained by the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (a group that helps preserve Colorado's 14,000 ft mountains) to become a Peak Steward-in which I will volunteer to hike Fourteeners this summer and educate people about preserving them.

So things are coming together. I have a feeling greater things are yet to come, and greater things are yet to be done in my life!