Mr. T's Wild Ride

It doesn't seem like two weeks have passed since I ran 100 miles to raise money for my friend Tony and the ALS Association of Arizona (see the Hom100 website). I don't have an exact total on the amount we raised but it's in the neighborhood of $6,500. Awesomeness, for sure.

I was running out at the San Tan park the other morning and a lady passed me by and said, "Hey great job on that 100 miles for your friend!" I swelled with pride knowing that the right message was out there and just one more person was educated about the devastation of ALS.

It's safe to say that I'm recovered. I'm pretty sure it was the time I spent by the pool and all the beer I consumed over the long weekend that sped the 'healing' process :) I felt fine over the course of the following week but it was my feet that were really the issue. Turns out I had several blisters in strange places that have taken a while to fully crustify.

My legs have felt really strong and my confidence is high but over the next 2 weeks is when it really starts to get interesting...

I'll be running the Adrenaline 65k on Saturday and continuing to build up to at least 80-90 mile weeks until we leave for South Dakota on June 21. The triple-digit heat here in AZ is making it tough to get those morning runs done. Hydration and motivation are keys to staying strong in this heat.

I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna be tough.

The Black Hills 100 is no walk in the park. 16,000+ of climbing is going to leave my quads gelatinous and my hamstrings rubber...and the weather. Well, who knows. It's always a toss up on whether it's going to be blistering hot or down-right chilly. The past several years have been hot (which favors me) but I'm not counting on any advantages for this distance.

Black Hills 100 elevation profile

I have ruled out any possibility of a sub-24 on this course. Hell, the previous winners come in at about 20 hours and I know I'm clearly off that pace by 30-40%.

Finishing under 30 hours will be just fine.

Finishing, will be just fine :)

Which blog is this?

It's the last couple days before the Hom 100 and I've done so many blog posts, write-ups, Facebook shares and comments that they're all starting to blur together.

It's been a amazing week seeing folks rally behind the event, Tony and the general idea of wiping out ALS forever. If you're not subscribed to the 9 million other blogs I have going, here's what you missed:

1. Fulton Homes came on board as a sponsor for the event
2. Cadence Running Company donated a massive amount of nutritional products for the event
3. The ALS Association and Fulton featured the event on their Facebook pages

Oh, and we're raising $37.17 per mile.

Now that the media push is calming down, I have to focus on actually gathering everything we'll need for the run. If I were running this myself, it would be one thing...but at any given time, I'm expecting 2-3 people to be running with me. I have no idea who will be with us at the start or finish either.

I'm really trying not to stress over the details - this is hard for me, the planner. In the end, this event is not for me. It's not for the sponsors.

It's for Tony.
My friend.

I am humbled by those who help and contribute for no other reason than to support Tony and my friendship with him and his family.

Weekly jib jab

Nothing of real significance going on recently...just trying to ramp my training back up after losing 2 weeks to shingles. I really hate that fitness endurance is so easily lost and yet takes so much work to get back.

What else?

I'm testing a new endurance drink called Tailwind Nutrition. They're a mom and  pop shop based out of Colorado (seriously, how often do you get a hand-written thank you note with your order and personalized bags!). I've read several reviews from other runners and it seems to be the real deal. They say you can ditch the gels, chews and other food while using Tailwind...They're so confident however that they'll refund you the cost of your next race if it doesn't meet your expectations. I've only used it on a couple runs between 10 and 17 miles but I have to say, it kept me going over the course of those multi-hour runs with no problems at all. It tastes great and seems to have everything I need.

Of course, a more thorough review is forthcoming in the future weeks.

The biggest thing on my mind these days is the upcoming Hom 100. I created this run to raise money for my buddy Tony who was recently diagnosed with ALS. It's on May 25/26 and I'm still wondering if I have the mojo to make it all 100 miles.

Whether I make it or not is relatively unimportant. What is important is that we're raising over $2,600 (so far)!

SERIOUSLY!

If you'd like to donate please click here...there's still time.

I also signed up for the Adrenaline night run on June 8 out in the McDowell Mountains. It should be a good time and a good preview for pacing the Javelin Jundred in October.