FINALLY! I see the light!

This has been some past month, but I think I may have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel! As I've posted earlier, I've barely been in the same city for two consective weeks: two weeks in GA for Christmas. Back in KC for 1.5 weeks. Back to ATL for Paul Boyd's wedding for 5 days then back to KC. I then had to wrap up my grad school info (slides, story, statement of purpose, etc, etc) and mail it off within a week! I stayed up all night last night dottin' my 'I's and crossin' my 'T's, but I finished it and mail it 'next day' to New York! Wish me luck everyone. Lucy and I may be in New York next year.
Now I can get back to jobs I've had to put off. (sorry everyone! You know who you are!)

Married Land

After my two weeks in GA over Christmas, you'd figure I'd be 'Georgia'd out'. Nope, I gotta head back for another week for Paul Boyd's wedding. Honestly, I had just gotten back in the KC swing from the first trip and now I'll be living outta a suitcase for another week. No problem though because it'll be nice to see Paul one more time before he heads off to 'Married Land' - a place where old friends go to rarely be seen again. Not his fault though...it happens to everyone and will probably happen to me also. Seems like marriage is the imaginary point when the past is put away (old friends, places you used to frequent, college crap) and the 'new' begins - jobs, kids, house, etc. Guess I'll be booking my ticket to Married Land soon. Bon Voyage, Paul!

Snowy run

Instead of doing a night run with the trail group, I decided to head out on my own and do a loop at WYCO. Since I'm trying to get in better shape as fast as I can for the upcoming race there, I figure what better way to train than on location!
What started out as an overcast, chilly run became a snowy mud fest! The snow felt great against my face as I charged down the hills. What I didn't like was the mud though. Some of my running breathren like to slip and slide through the trees. I don't. I prefer to ZOOM and while zooming....I prefer TRACTION! I didn't wear my spiked trail shoes either ('spiked' as in drilled screws in the bottom) so about midway through the first lap, I was doing more walking than running. At that point, I jogged around the lake on the paved highway. It was still fun to be the only person out and to see the hazy snow in the distance, but pavement running can't compete. My trail run will just have to continue at another time when I wear the proper muddin' shoes.

WYCO trail run

Just got back from a wonderful run at Wyandotte Co. Park (WYCO), the site of the 'Psycho WYCO' race I'm running in February. The course is an extremely difficult 10+ mile, single-track loop, but the race will be THREE times around . Ben Holmes, the organizer of the Psycho WYCO, and the 'KC Trail Nerds', have put a lot of effort in making the course as challenging as possible and is easily the hardest I've ever run. Saturday morning, we worked on about 1.5 miles of track and the group (without me) ran two loops. Since I was unable to make it, I decided to get my butt out there today.

The race is coming up fast and I haven't been training as hard as I need to. With the 2-week vacaction back home in December, all the good (i.e. 'fattening') foods during the Holidays, and ANOTHER trip to GA next week for my friend's wedding, it's been hard to keep any regular schedule. I'm gonna really have to pick up the pace over the next few weeks and will try to 'hit the trails' most days even for short runs. The hardest thing for me isn't the breathing but the long time spent on my flat feet. My feet along with my knees will start aching soon after one lap I'm sure.

I've never considered myself a 'runner', but a person who likes to run. I enjoy pushing myself and my limits and is probably the reason I do it anyway. The marathon I finished back in October was hard enough but this 50k coming up on a much harder course will really test me!
All I can do is work hard up to that point and give it the 'ol college try! Wish me luck!

Oh, I design the shirt for the race so I gotta represent. I'll try and post some photos of the course after my next run there.

Back in KC!

Finally...I've gotten reorganized from my vacation to write. That was a very long two weeks living outta a suitcase back in GA. First, I lost my Montblanc pen at the airport. Lucy got sick on the way home. A quick turnaround job came up and only had Christmas weekend to do 6 illustrations with no supplies and my parent's slow computer! Finally on the way home, our flight was delayed in ATL because of tornados!! Hopefully everyone sees the irony when the only tornados I experience are in Atlanta...not Kansas. Overall, it was nice to see the family and visit some of my 'ol stomping grounds. I got a chance to run on the trails in Macon 4 times and once in Athens. I'm very happy to be back in Kansas City and not living outta my suitcase....at least for the next two weeks until I have to head back to GA for a wedding........