It has been a busy week or two so I have compiled some of the best articles to cover all of the mess out there.
Enjoy
Choose to Succeed
Koach Karl
Koach Karl
Nov
03
In the last few years there has been an increased interest in barefoot running, which is understandable because it is intriguing. I know when I first started doing marathons and I saw some guy running barefoot I just could not understand. I had just started and a marathon, which was hard enough with shoes, but barefoot? That was over ten years ago. Earlier this year, I, like thousands of other people, read a book called Born to Run by Chris McDougal. Not only was it a great book about running, but it peaked my interest about barefooting. I do not want to rewrite my review, so just read it when you have time. Since reading that book I have researched barefoot running, pros and cons, and have come to a few of my own conclusions. Of course I’m sure your wondering about the title of this. I will get to that, just be patient.
Now the first running boom hit in the 70s and that is the decade that brought us the cushioned running shoe. If you Google barefoot running you will get a plethora of info, mostly positive, along with a few conspiracy theories. A few people accuse the shoe companies of creating a need for their shoes, when there was not one, through junk science, Are you starting to get the global warming connection? After the running and shoe boom of the 70s people started to get all types of injuries, of course blamed on running. But the last decade or so, and particularly the last few years, the blame has been on the shoes not running. There are studies for both sides of this argument. Now a lot of people blame the EVIL shoe companies who continue to make millions off of the ignorance of the public with a product the public does not need. Or do they? I encourage you to do your own research and decide for yourself. Of course, I will give you my opinion, so read on.
Barefoot or shoes? Shoes are there to protect our feet and control our foot strike. But we had been barefoot for thousands of years or at least wearing a minimalist sandal. How did we survive all that time without a cushioned shoe? From the modern shoe we have protection, as well as the variety of shoes for different foot types. Motion control, stability and neutral cushioning shoes meet a wide range of needs. There are variations of each one but the sole purpose, no pun intended, is to protect the feet and control foot strike. All good intentions but is there really a need? That is the big question! Do we really need shoes? Of course our first instinct is to say YES. What kind of idiot does not wear shoes to run? We need the protection. Don’t we? We need the guidance control system, the cushioning, the air, the gel… don’t we? Some people say NO!
There are hundreds of people, maybe thousands, that run barefoot. Their thinking, along with some doctors and scientists, is that the foot and body were designed to run. Throughout history man has been a hunter-gatherer. Not just running, long distance running. Ancient man would wear out his prey by stalking it for miles. Most animals are fast for short distances but wear out over long distances. As we evolved into modern man we have so many conveniences that we do not have to hunt for our food and have not had to for decades.
This brings me to Global Warming. It was the 70s when “scientists,” including our current “Climate Czar,” told us that by 1990 we would be frozen over in an “ice age.” Shortly after the “ice age” scare it was “global warming.” This continued until this past year when all of the data showed that the earth was actually cooling. Now we call it “climate change,” a nice catchall. Now remember these are some of the same people that predict the weather, and how many times have they been wrong? Through all of these name changes the root of all this evil has been big oil and of course the human race. Now we have companies making millions off of “climate change”. Al Gore is, by selling carbon credits to offset their carbon footprint (which by the way is complete junk science). Al Gore makes Bernie Madoff look like a shoplifter. I will get back to this and my take on our environment later.
My conclusion, after much research and a little practical application, on barefoot running is that it could have benefits. The research shows significant improvement in overcoming injuries when incorporating barefoot running. There are people who do not buy into this theory at all. Like I said both sides have good arguments. From a logical approach I think the barefoot advocates put forth a better case. That is my opinion, and there are a lot of people who agree with me and a lot who disagree. My point is that it is not for everyone. I do think it is beneficial and can improve your running overall. I also think this is an individual decision and people should do what they want. This is a free country. If people want to run in shoes, I’m all for that. Being a capitalist I am all for the shoe companies making millions from their contribution to the running community. I will continue my experiment of barefoot running and see where it takes me. I have not thrown away my shoes yet.
My Global Warming conclusion is that no one really knows if we are going to turn into a giant ice cube or explode from overheating. We will continue on as God intended. I do think the “Climate Change” alarmists have an agenda and people like Al Gore are making a fortune using scare tactics. Carbon credits? What is that? No one can give a concrete answer or evidence of what “they” are. Yet people buy them to feel warm and fuzzy. I am OK with that as well; it is a free country. As for me, I will continue to drive my Ford F-150; it is my money and my decision. If you want to drive a hybrid, that is great. I would never try to make anyone buy something they do not want or need. I will NEVER let anyone make those choices for me. Personally, I think it is arrogant to think we could alter the direction of the climate. I do think we should be good stewards, but as stated in the Bible, the earth and all that is on or in it is for man to use.
Choose to Succeed
Koach Karl
Koach Karl
Oct
12
Friday Oct 9 I awoke to a FOX NEWS ALERT. President Obama, the messiah, the one, the Marxist had won the Nobel Peace prize??!! To clarify my state of mind I got to sleep in that day as my normal morning appointment had canceled. I am always a little groggy when I sleep in so when I heard this at 5am, I normally am up at 4am, I thought it was a bad dream. Once I focused and realized that this was real, I still had a little doubt, I wasn’t mad or happy. I really though I was in some Twilight Zone episode where you wake up and the world has changed, then I came to. I had been living this since Nov 2008. It is Twilight Zone or Bizzarro World take your pick. Obama was nominated for this prestigious award JUST 12 days in to his term as President of the World.
Now for me this isn’t really a big surprise. If you look back over the last few years MMM MMM MMM Barack Hussein Obama has gone from a Community Organizer, WTF is that, to President. OK, what did he do as a community organizer? Well from what I understand, with funding and cooperation from Bill Ayers a know domestic terrorist, he taught the black youth how to rebel against “The Man” . Now this was under the guise of education. Indoctrination of the black youth in to a Marxist movement. Of course I am against such things but this is/was a free country and all views and beliefs have a right to be out there. What is SHOCKING is the fact that this man was elected President. I am still confused over the ignorance and gullibility of the American people. IT IS DONE. There is nothing that will change it. Now he is showing his true self as a Marxist, most people say socialist I disagree, and he hates what this country stands for.
Let’s look back over the past 9 wonderful months, of course the first 12 days he was nominated for the Nobel Prize, The first thing was to sign off on the closing of GITMO, well that hasn’t happened yet. Probably won’t for a while. Then we HAD to have the stimulus bill or the world was going to end as we know it. Well the world is ending as we know it, Capitalism is dying a slow death. As of Oct only 13% of the 780 some billion has been paid out and they are talking about a second stimulus. Again it is the damn Twilight Zone!! NOW before any LIBS mention Bush I will be the first to admit that he drove the first nail in to the coffin of capitalism. So shut up about Bush! This is Obama’s mess not Bush’s. Since we have been saved by the stimulus, unemployment is at record high pushing towards 10%. The auto industry is drowning, even after cash for clunkers, I blame this on the Unions. No one in his right mind can say Unions are good for business, they have destroyed the auto industry.
In March Obama said he had analyzed Afghanistan with his staff and had come up with a new strategy. That was in March then his new General makes recommendations in August, we don’t hear about it until Sept, now we are in Oct and nothing more has been done to spur on a victory in Afghanistan. The LIBS hate the military and Obama is no different, they will institute rules of engagement to ensure defeat in Afghanistan. They did it in Vietnam they will do it in Afghanistan.
Now I didn’t forget about his “I hate America and I’m sorry and I love Islam” tour. Stating “We are not a Christian Nation” he basically said that America has sucked for 200 some years but they have me now so all is well. That is why he received the Nobel Prize, because they knew he was in the process of castrating America. We are looked on as weak and powerless thanks to Obama. For those of you who think the world community likes and respects us now that Obama has done the apology tour, you are idiots. The world is laughing and mocking him. They did mock Bush but they were afraid of him and we were safe. Iran and North Korea launch missile after missile daring someone to stop them. Don’t worry now that we are aligned with the world we will all talk about how we want a world “free of nuclear weapons” why all the while the crazies are building up there arsenal.
How about his CZARS of for that matter his cabinet appointments. We have avowed communists, pedophiles, Marxist, socialist, tax cheats, racists…… There is Cass Sunstein who thinks animals should be able to sue, that’s right. These are the nuts that our Nobel Prize winner has hired to assist him in “Remaking America”.
I will stop now as it is getting redundant but you get the drift, this man never accomplished anything of value to this country before he became president. Now that he is president he is doing everything he can to destroy it. Don’t despair there are groups out there fighting the good fight. Stay informed and go to protest to stop the “Remaking of America”
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Koach Karl
Choose to Succeed
Koach Karl
Koach Karl
Sep
18
Where to begin?
In the past few weeks we have had Van Jones, ACORN, Missile Defense shut down, Health Care, LIAR!! Thanks Joe Wilson and of course racism running amuck. I could list several others but I really think that’s enough.
ACORN: They have been causing trouble for years, it is about time someone exposed them. Unfortunately it wasn’t NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC…. or any other part of the so called media. It was two kids, OK they are in there 20s, but still young. After all the videos surfaced of ACORN employees trying to help a pimp and his whore evade taxes and start a child prostitution ring the only news that ran it was FOX. FOX, which is number one in the ratings for a reason, covered it for two days before the other media would pick it up. The only reason they ran it then was they were getting hammered with questions of “WHY” aren’t you covering this. The liberal media, that is all of the aforementioned, have been giving NO coverage to anything that is negative towards Obama or the left. Of course this isn’t new, it has been going on for the past 50 years. Kennedy could kill someone and get away with it, you can use any first name there, but let a republican think about a bad deed and he crucified. They are the thought police, as you know. Barney Frank ran a male prostitution ring out of his townhouse, OK it was his boyfriend, and those idiots in the NE keep voting for him. Larry Craig is accused of tapping his foot and all of the sudden it isn’t OK to be gay. Republicans called for him to resign and the liberal media was all over it. I could go on for hours but let’s move on.
LIAR!! Joe Wilson calls Obama a liar, for lying about illegal immigrant health care. He was lying, he is lying so he is a LIAR!! That really isn’t the problem; the reaction was that of a assassination attempt. Of course, it was racially motivated, and it has nothing to do with the FACT that he was lying. If any thing goes wrong or someone disagrees with you or you fail or you are running this country to Marxism and your only defense to critics is “you must be a racist.” WOW! It must be great to be totally unchecked because you are black. He isn’t even black he is half white and half black. I happen to have a daughter who is half black and half white, you know what she puts under race on all her school forms? American! Though she isn’t perfect she doesn’t make excuses because of her skin color. No she isn’t African-American, we aren’t related to anyone in Africa, we have never been to Africa. She is American. SO Obama is a LIAR simply because he lies not because he is black. Actually my pick for president the past 10 years has been Alan Keyes who is a great debater and a strong Christian, who happens to be black.
Missile Defense: There’s not much to say here. The US planned a missile defense to be built in Czech and Poland, our allies, under the Bush administration. This didn’t set right with Russia, Obama’s true Motherland:) So after many meetings with the Russia’s he decided to scrap it. Now if he does what he says he will do and put in place a defense system that is more mobile by ship that would be great. Though it is rare for a lib, who is actually a Marxist, to do anything positive for our defense. It is interesting that since that was announced GE just signed a HUGE deal with Russia. GE CEO Jeff Immelt sits on Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board and owns MSNBC Obama’s biggest fan base and ass kissers. You do the math.
Health Care I think, for any intelligent person, speaks for it self. It will over tax our hard workers and small business owners will no longer exist. YES it cover ILLEGAL’S because we already.
All for now, stay tuned for my take on Nancy Pelosi and Van Jones
Choose to Succeed
Koach Karl
Koach Karl
Aug
17
WOW!! It has been a wild time in the political arena as of late. Health care, Czars, economy, Cap and trade ….. It is all very surreal, Obama seems to be trying to one up Hugo:) All of these topics are of great importance and will effect our lives for years to come. I wish I could say one is more important than the other but they all have the same underlying result. MORE government control of our lives, which for those of you who voted for this means less Freedom.
Health care has been a tough battle for both sides, I personally don’t see the problem but I am a simple man. NO where in the Constitution does it say all your medical will be taken care of. But I can’t find the words “separation of church and state” so what do I know. There are all kinds of numbers being batted about out there but from what I can make of it most of the country has health care. They (who ever they are) say that 40 million people don’t have insurance, of that approximately 12 million are illegal’s and another 20 million CHOOSE not to have insurance. The liberals believe in the right to choose only if it is to kill a baby. I digress. So we are looking at less than 10 million people who need or want to be covered and most of them are covered since the hospitals can’t turn away anyone in the first place. But let’s go with 10 million, that is less than 4% of the population. Don’t get me wrong I feel for anyone who can’t afford medical care because I am one of those people. I have had insurance off and on my whole life. Right now my wife and daughter have it and I don’t. That is my choice!! So the wanna-be Dictator wants to change a system that works (though flawed) for less than 4% of us because he cares. If you believe that then I guess you voted for him. It is starting to be apparent that these Town hall protesters, who are organized by Rush, are taking there toll on the Health care reform movement. If you believe that Rush is behind this again you probably voted for that racist, weak, Marxist thing we call a president. Anyway, Obama is now saying let’s make it a Co-Op, whatever that means. You can change the buzz words, the bottom line is government control.
Everything else has been secondary to the health care battle but no less important. Cap and trade will put many people out of business as well as increase your daily expenditures. If the government taxes the faux environmental infractions WE are going to make up the difference, if you don’t believe that you know nothing about business. Anytime there is a tax increase it is passed onto the consumer. If the cost of doing business goes up prices for any product from that business goes up.. Now for those of you who only have a public school education and don’t know anything about the real world I suggest you educate yourself(like I did) on how real business works. Capitalism is what made this country great NOT the government. Actually the lack of government, which was a priority when this country was established, has made the USA the strongest and wealthiest nation in the world. All faster than any other country. FREEDOM is the key to our success. Every time government gets involved things get worse. Remember “The New Deal” contrary to what they taught you in public school it made matters worse and prolonged the depression. Let me be clear here I don’t blame just Obama and Bush I blame every elected official Republican and Democrat who voted for any of this government intrusion. It has been going on for years but it escalated with Bush bailing out the banks, which Barney Frank and Cris Dodd should be in jail for. Countrywide and Freddiemac were the catalyst to this recession and Frank and Dodd were major players in that debacle and should be brought to justice.
Czars?? Aren’t those the guys from Russia that controlled everything and abused the general population? No they are Obama appointees who will control major parts of the administration with NO oversight, Hugo is a light weight compared to Obama. How about the “Beer Summit” because a Harvard professor is a racist, a cop doing his job is bashed by Obama. Then we have Sarah Palin chiming in to the health care debate talking about “Death Panels” and being once again bashed by the media. The death panels according to the libs don’t exist in the bill but later were removed. How can you remove anything that wasn’t there. Way to go Sarah!!The government COUNTS on your ignorance!! That is precisely why public school funding has gone up but grades and performance have gone down, the less we know the better for there control. Educate yourself!!
That’s all for now. Stay strong and remember the vision our Founding Fathers had, this isn’t it.
Choose to Succeed
Koach Karl
Koach Karl
Apr
27
Charity Warriors
by Koach Karl
This subject has come up in the monthly magazines numerous times in the past few years. Unfortunately, many of the articles written have a negative spin to them. I intend to change that here and NOW!
How on earth can you criticize people for challenging themselves AND helping others at the same time? It is beyond me but there have been a few who think these people are doing a bad thing. To give full disclosure, I was the coach for Leukemia &Lymphoma’s Team In Training (TNT) program for nine years and now have my own group of charity runners called Runners In Touch (RIT) www.koachkarl.com. We raise money for a local charity called the Touched By Cancer Foundation www.touchedbycancerfoundation.org. Please donate!
During my years with TNT, I coached over two thousand people to their first marathon and most were former couch potatoes or at best novice runners. I also trained a dozen or so to their first Iron distance triathlon. Watching these people cross the finish line, who a year earlier only dreamed of such an accomplishment, made me more excited than when I complete such an event. The greatest part of charity endurance training is that you are not only helping yourself by becoming a stronger more determined individual but you are making a difference in someone else’s life who truly needs you. Hence, I use the term “Charity Warrior.”
To those people who would say that the Charity Warrior is slow or take up spaces that could be filled by “elite” athlete… all I can say is you are an IDIOT (I do tend to sugarcoat things, don’t I?). First, as long as they finish within the required cutoff times, mind your own business. I am a strong believer in cutoff times and if ANYONE does not make it, he should be escorted off the course.
Second, there are truly very few “elite” athletes out there. If you are not placing in the top 10 or maybe 20, you are not an elite athlete, sorry to burst your bubble. We are all out there, in essence, competing against ourselves. Those true “elites” are given spots already, and it is usually first come first serve for us commoners. This is the way it should be! Finally, all of those “slow” people, which is a very subjective word as one man’s run is another man’s jog, are the ones footing most of the bill for the event. If we just held events for “elite” athletes, who the hell would pay for everything? 90% of the people out on the course are regular folks who work 40-60 hours per week and fit in their training.
Do the math: if you have a marathon with 10,000 participants and 5% are the “elite,” which is high, that leaves 9500 regular folks like you and me. If the “elites” paid for their entry (average $100), that would be $5000, but the rest of us are worth $950,000.
WHO is paying for this event? Even though I am a product of public school, I can figure that one out. Why is it so tough to appreciate these people as fellow competitors and leave it at that? In a marathon like San Diego Rock ‘n” Roll, which usually has about 20,000 participant, about 5000 total charity runners participate—that is a staggering 25%! Of course, this will vary from event to event, but what difference does it make if one person is training on his own and trying to PR or if he trained with a group and is raising money for a good cause?
Breaking this down a little more, what kind of an impact do these people actually have? I will even lowball my figures. If there are 3000 Charity Warriors at an event and each of them raised $2500 (a low estimate), that is $7.5 MILLION going to various charities! Do you think that money is making a difference?! Damn right it does, and probably with something you as an individual are connected with is some way. Now that is just ONE event. Lowball this estimate for an annual impact by these pesky people. There are at least ten events that welcome Charity Runners and their causes. This does not account the smaller events spread all over the country. Charity Warriors’ hard work and training accounts for about $75 MILLION annually! I know that in today’s world when the government is spending TRILLIONS, $75 million does not sound like a lot, but to us common working people, that amount is INCREDIBLE! Over 10 years, Charity Warriors raise a minimum of $750 MILLION. The next time you feel that these Charity Warriors are to slow or in your way, STOP and take a moment to think outside yourself and realize the REAL impact these people have on our society. Thank them for what they are doing.
I can almost guarantee that a family member or someone you know has been touched in some way by the great things these Charity Warriors have done over the years.
In this current economy, all charitable donations are down, so someone needs to take up the slack. With the bill that was passed making donations less tax deductible, this situation is going to get worse. If you do not know about this, you should! I think we all need to be supportive of these Charity Warriors because not only do they go out everyday and put in their training like others, but they are also constantly raising money and being an advocate for their particular cause. They really are doing much more than most people! They train and fundraise while also working and taking care of their family.
I know we have all heard people use the excuse “I don’t have time,” to get out of training for an even. Add fundraising to that, and maybe you can give these people the respect they deserve! That does not mean if you do not raise money and train you are any less dedicated, but by NO means does it mean these people should be treated like aliens invading your territory! You notice I did not use the term illegal alien, apparently that is no longer allowed as well as the term terrorist, isn’t fascism swell, but I digress.
Remember that we are all out there busting our ass to get to the finish line, and we should respect each other for our common goal. Fund raising or not, we all put in the time and sweat to accomplish our goals. Enjoy the company of each person you come in contact with, and who knows, maybe we can not only be better athletes but grow as human beings as well. That last part was a little too touchy feely for me, but you know what I mean. Life is a class that is never over, learn from it.
GOD BLESS
Apr
03
A week ago or so I published a article that I wrote for Endurance Planet about Failure. Some of it was sarcasm about our current attitude of entitlement and how it will eventually infiltrate our society of endurance events. I was really half kidding!! Well it has come to pass!! I feel like the Pharaoh “So let it be written so let it be so”! I know you are aware of the Olathe Marathon and Half cancelation last weekend, they did reschedule the half and the 5k for this Saturday April 4th. I won’t go into the reasons for the cancelation or if I agree but on every race entry it states that if the event is canceled do to weather there are no refunds and that is the end of it. They did cancel the Marathon all together and that is tough but life is full of disappointments. Not to worry we have a feel good society and you will get your Marathon t-shirt and FINISHERS MEDAL mailed to you. That’s right a t-shirt and a medal for not only an event you didn’t even start let alone finish, but that didn’t even HAPPEN. This is stated on the marathon website if you don’t believe me. I think this is pathetic and a result of our society bent on trying to prevent disappointment at all costs. Life is tough and you will be disappointed but you deal with it and move on to the the next thing. We have become, I know I have said it many times, a Nation of PUSSIES. Toughen up and move on, I will never do the Olathe event again, why should I when finishing is meaningless!!
K2
Mar
30
Join me and millions of Americans that are tired of the direction this administration is taking our country.
April 1st mail your Tea Bag to: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500 …..
April 15th Go to your local Tea Party!! http://www.americansolutions.com/General/?Page=a6386a2f-6bb2-4ee5-b230-b46b54c887e4
K2
Koach Karl
Athlon Endurance Training
Runners In Touch Teams
www.koachkarl.com
Mar
24
Why do we plan for failure? I know you are saying to yourself that you don’t, but it’s true. Not all of us not all of the time, but if you really think about it, you know it is true. Whether it is a career move or an endurance event, sometimes you think to yourself, “I cannot do that but I will try.“ RIGHT THERE YOU ARE PUTTING FAILURE INTO MOTION.
Self-doubt perpetuates failure. NO, you don’t have to be arrogant but you do need to be confident in yourself and your abilities. There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence as you will see. We are all guilty of this from time to time, some less, some more.
For example, take training for an event that quite frankly scares you, and you become overwhelmed. I think this happens to most of us as we venture into the unknown. It is how you handle that fear that defines you. There is nothing wrong with fear, and anyone who says he is not afraid at times is a liar. It is dealing with and overcoming that fear that makes you successful. In endurance events, as well as life and business, fear can keep you from the success GOD has in store for you. Don’t worry I’m not going to preach!
This quest for failure also has friends who want you to fail. You know them. They surround us. This is the person who says, “Why do you do that stuff, it can’t be good for you,” or “There’s no way you can do that; it’s just too hard.” Then you have the self-loathing ones who whine, “I could never do that,” “I wasn’t built to run, bike, swim, move…” Unless you are your own powerful source of positive energy, you need to shed these people and move on. This is a harsh reality, but negativity begets negativity. If you are a positive force, try to help them, because they need you. But remember these people want you to fail so they will feel better about themselves. If you are successful, they have NO excuses!
I run into these people every now and then, and I try to inspire them as best I can. If not, I move on. I am blessed with a great support team starring my beautiful wife, Paula, who was sent to me straight from GOD (still not going to preach). I also have many team members from my running group, Runners In Touch http://www.koachkarl.com/RIT.html (first plug) who are all very supportive and believe I can do anything. No pressure, because I welcome it. I like to prove to them that anything is possible.
Back to planning for failure… Last September, I had a very successful 100-mile run to raise money for The Touched By Cancer Foundation at http://www.touchedbycancerfoundation.org(shameless plug). We raised some money and had a great time. It was also to test my back after crushing a vertebra one year earlier. After that event I on was on a high, as everything went like clockwork. Yes, we had a few problems but you always do when you run that far. I was scheduled to participate in the Silverman Iron Distance Triathlon, www.silvermannv.com, eight weeks after my 100-miler. I was feeling great and thought I would just need to focus on the swim and bike for the next six weeks and then taper for two. I did have a good base, as I incorporated tri training into my ultrarunning for cross training. But the Silverman is billed as the hardest Iron Distance in the world, and they weren’t kidding, with the bike being the hardest part.
I trained the next six weeks haphazardly, thinking the endurance I had acquired training for my 100-miler would carry me through. Here we move from confident to arrogant. I had completed the Florida Ironman three times without too many problems, so I figured I would incorporate a little more hill training and everything would be fine. WRONG! I was planning for failure by not taking the event seriously and not making it a priority; it was secondary to my 100-miler. My mistake was first taking an Iron Distance event lightly and second not making it a priority since I had never participated in the event. I really didn’t know what to expect. To make a long story short, it KICKED my ass! I didn’t make the bike cut off and was unable to finish.
Moving forward, I planned to participate in the 3 days of Syllamo, www.3daysofsyllamo.org. This is a three-day trail event consisting of a 50K day one, followed by a 50-miler the next day and finally 12 miles the third day. All of this is run on mostly single track trails through the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. I completed the 50K last year and had a great time, so I was looking forward to the challenge of all three days. Or so I thought… as time went on, I maintained my endurance by running 4-6 days per week but my mileage was lower than planned, with very few runs longer than 10 miles. As January approached, and the event was in March, I had not completed even one 20-miler. I usually run a lot of back to back 20 milers to prepare for ultras. I knew I was running out of time but thought I could BS my way through if it got too tough.
My longest run was a 28-miler, and I only completed two other runs in the 20s. Of course, this was not nearly enough to conquer the Ozark Mountains, but I thought I had already paid for it and made travel plans, so let’s see what happens. PLANNING FOR FAILURE again! The first day went OK. I was tired at the end and was a little worried about the 50 miles the next day. The cutoffs were hard, so I knew I would have to push it all day. Well, again, I got my ass handed to me; my legs just said NO MORE. NO SHIT! That is what happens when you don’t train properly. I did run the final day and had a good time, but I didn’t make the distance on day two so it was again a DNF!
Going back a few years to my first DNF in 2002, I was at Badwater, www.badwater.com, which is my favorite ultra. I had completed the Badwater Ultra in 2001 on my first attempt and had a wonderful experience and relatively no problems. Now when talking Badwater, everything is relative. I had blisters, and basically the skin on the bottom of my feet was peeled of to alleviate the problem. Thanks to Jeff Quint and a great crew, we persevered and finished. I had trained relentlessly and read everything I could get my hands on, including a must read by journalist Kirk Johnson, To the Edge. It was great to get the perspective from a normal runner who just wanted to finish. Better yet he was a REAL writer, not an athlete pretending to be writer like myself and others out there. He painted a vivid picture that scared the hell out of me. After taking in his experiences, I was running around in May, June and July in three layers of clothing in the heat and humidity of Kansas and Missouri, anticipating the grueling heat of Death Valley. I had fear, but I let it drive me rather than relax me.
The following year I was too relaxed and tried something different with my nutrition, which I will never do again. I had my first DNF as a result. I have since and always will use Hammer products, www.hammernutrition.com, (plug!) during endurance events. In sum, the DNF was my own doing (I planned for it!), because if I had stuck with the original plan that got me there in the first place, I know I would have finished.
All of these events were well-run, and the race directors did a great job. I would recommend any of them if you want to challenge yourself and go to the next level of endurance events. I could give a race report and have for all three events but that isn’t the purpose here. If you want to know details about these events contact me at www.koachkarl.com (I love shameless plugs). I am returning to Silverman and Syllamo in 2010 to redeem myself. So my 2010 is pretty well-planned, and I WON’T make the same mistakes as I did before. I went back to Badwater in 2004 and finished my business there!
It is hard to share this with others, but my job is to insure people are successful in their endurance events. As my good friend and great athlete Jeff Quint says, these are “teachable moments” and if my mistakes can help anyone out there, then the story is worth telling and worth being humbled. That way me getting my ass handed to me isn’t just humiliating, it is inspirational.
I have trained people for endurance events for the past fourteen years, and I will tell you if you have a plan and stick to it, you will be successful. Yes, things happen that are beyond our control, but 90% of the time our success or failure is by our own design.
This brings me to the meat of this topic. In endurance events as in life, the things that happen to us are our responsibility. Our success or failure IS by our own design! I know the concept of taking responsibility for our actions is not popular right now. Why take responsibility when we could blame someone else? That seems to be the New American way, but not in the America our Founders had in mind or that I believe in. Hard work and discipline pay off in the long run, which is the work ethic that made this country great. Every choice we make has consequences, whether it is training or every day life.
When you slack in your training and fail, you want to blame anyone but yourself. The course was hard, I got lost because it wasn’t marked well, the weather was bad, I had the wrong socks on, and it was too hot…. whine! Whine Whine! You can try all you want, but if you really look at your failures, as with anything in life, it is usually from a poor choice on your part. YOU didn’t train right, YOU didn’t pay attention to the course and you put the damn socks on! 99% of the time we reap what we sow. I know it sounds too simple, but it is true. We control our destiny in business, endurance events and in life. When we try to take the easy way or the path of least resistance, we will get the results we deserve! The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can start being successful in everything you do.
To make it more confusing, not only do you have to plan and work hard you also have to be able to handle any obstacles along the way. If you work long hours then you are looking at time management to get your training in, it may be tough but it can be done. Some place to train, equipment, time, kids, spouse… You can come up with hundreds of reasons, because it is easier to quit than to persevere. However, quitting is not easier on your character. When you make excuses, it pacifies your need to have a reason for your failure, but you and you alone have to live with that, no one else. Is that the kind of life you want? A life of “what if?” What if I had taken that job? What if I had taken that chance? What if I had trained a little harder?
The bottom line and the reason for the title of this article is that when you try to take shortcuts or doubt yourself, you are in essence planning for your failure. This may be for business, school, endurance events or life in general. When you take shortcuts or become arrogant in your abilities, you predetermine your failure. I believe that we can accomplish anything if we work hard and put in the time. No matter what it is in life, your first marathon, Ironman, career move… you name it, and you can achieve it. You can do it if you plan for it and work hard.
But don’t act surprised when you FAIL, as you slack, cut class, come in late for work or skip training. You were planning it all along. No, this isn’t some self-help piece. This is a stop whining and start busting your ass piece!
Plan your success, NOT your failure. With the direction we are going as a nation, I’m sure in a few years you can have someone run your event for you and you will get the medal for just wanting to do it and having good intentions. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live like that. I want to sweat, feel the sore muscles and bleed if necessary to finish what I started. The government can’t bail you out of everything.
I am not a great athlete. I am a regular guy who works hard to achieve extraordinary things. I don’t whine about my failures; I blame only myself. I figure out my mistakes, regroup, and then move forward to rectify the failure. Anyone can do the things that I have done and plan to do in the future. You just need to push forward, set a goal and follow the steps it takes to get there.
If your goals include an endurance event, your best bet is to hire a Koach at www.koachkarl.com (I can’t help it), or absorb every ounce of knowledge out there. Believe me, there is plenty of it. Listen to the EP Experts and read everything on Endurance Planet http://www.enduranceplanet.com(I kill me, I wish everyone thought I was as funny as I do!), because the information on this site is invaluable. I encourage you to also check out Ultrarunning Magazine as well as the other industry monthlies out there. As cliché as it sounds, it is true that Knowledge is Power. Get it and use it.
I do most of my training and events for a local charity, so I leave you with this. In these tough economic times there is always someone who is worse off than you, so do what you can to help out your fellow citizens. I remember hearing stories about the Great Depression and how they stood in line for food or how they went barefoot because they couldn’t afford shoes. Unemployment was higher than 20%. I can’t wait to tell stories to my great grand kids about how tough it is today. You know how we had to skip our extra espresso shot in our latte or even drink BLACK coffee. What are we, barbarians?! How we could only afford one flat screen and one car? I really don’t see how we are surviving. Are you sensing a theme here? It isn’t that bad out there if we can still afford our lattes and endurance events, in fact, life is pretty good. So give back to your community! If you are looking for a good charity go to www.touchedbycancerfoundation.org (last one, I promise). There are dozens of worthy causes out there, so pick one and be an advocate. BE the difference in this world! Do an endurance event for charity, and you will love the experience even more.
K2
Mar
10
I couldn’t read the last post, I did copy and paste so here are the details.
A organized Tea party is taking place April 1 to protest the current spending and taxes to come. Just mail a tea bag to the White House 1600 Pennslyvania Ave. Washington, DC 20500. It is the hope they will be received by tax day April 15.
SO RUN to your mail box and get this out to the new president so he knows of our discontent. I know it isn’t like conservatives to protest but these are new times and call for old ways. We must take our country back!!
K2
