Current State of Affairs
Man, I have really fell down on my blogging activities. Here is my attempt to get things rolling on a more consistent basis. First off, how about this new theme? Tabs and all, very classy huh?
I’ve got one more real event on my radar for the year and its the Dogwood Canyon Trail Run 50k on October 26th. It’s being put on by Bass Pro and its the first time that I can find that they have done an ultra event. I hope it goes off without a hitch, but you never can tell. The course map has not been put on the site and its only 6 weeks out, but the Dogwood Canyon park is right by my aunt and uncle’s house so its a good excuse to run a race and see some family, so no matter what the trip should be good. Plus, no hotel fees. The course has a lot of potential to be rough, it’s down in the Ozarks and I have done some road running there before and hit some really serious hills. Here is a somewhat promising excerpt from the page:“This is truly a trail race with rocks, hills, mud and more to conquer. Wear appropriate footwear and clothing cause the race goes on rain or shine!”
This year overall.. not so hot for me in the ultra world, but that gives me a chance to come back stronger next year. I took a new position at work and my wife and I had Gianna (who’s almost a year now!!!) so it was a busy year with life in general just adjusting to those changes. But hey, my hard work at the office paid off and I won a trip to Hawaii! Hard to complain about that one. McNaughton 100 again is the goal and all of my training and events I compete in from here until April 12th 2009 are just preparation for that 100 mile trek. I feel good at where I am with lots of time to go. I knocked out a little over 45 miles in 8 hours at Howl at the Moon on less than 30 miles a week so I am excited to see what I can do when I more than double that mileage and keep things consistent… and most importantly gradually build up to it.
My new road shoes should be here today. I’ve got a pair of Brooks Infiniti’s that I am trying out. I’ve been a big fan of the Adrenaline, but I am trying to rely less on shoes for correcting my gait, but I figured instead of going all the way neutral, it would probably make more sense to keep some stability just not as much as before, so that’s how I arrived at the Infiniti. It’s in the “Guidance” category, which sits between neutral and stability. Hope they work out.
On the trail I have been wearing Inov-8 Roclite 320’s. I’m really starting to like these shoes, even for some “on the shoulder” road running They are light, but not minimal. They have good protection and a secure fit on my foot. I’ve added a pair of Superfeet Black inserts so that there is just a bit more support under the arches. I’ve also switched up socks. I love my Smartwools, but man I must have got into a bad batch of them because they seem to be falling apart left and right. I was noticing that I have a pair of Bridgedale X-Hale socks that are still in great shape that I have had forever so I’m going to get back into those.
Other than that, life as usual. Training is back and full swing and I am feeling good. Looking forward to a good run this weekend in the cooler temps. Have a great weekend!