Category: Running

DO HARD THINGS

There’s a “mountain” here. I call it Leaser Lake Mountain, since the lake is at the base of the dirt road that goes up and over. The Appalaciahan Trail runs along the top, too. It’s magical.

Last April I got back to running, but decided I’m gonna go for elevation instead of mileage. How many feet can I climb in a year? By the end of 2024 I had climbed 83,000′ of elevation. This year I’m already at 78,000′, getting comfortable with 5000′ per week lately.

Since it’s been so hot here in Northeast PA, I didn’t get much running in. Finally on Saturday there was a break, so I went up and down my Leaser Lake Mountain three times, something I’ve never done before. That’s 11.3 miles, and 2,605′ of climbing,

The fantasy was to do that again today, Sunday, so I could hit my 5,000′ goal, but that absolutely didn’t happen. I still hit 3,229′ which is still solid, and finally got back to another 30 mile week. Happy with both of those numbers.

ENERGY IS EVERYTHING

Energy is everything, man.

I just did a big running adventure with a friend. A “Twin Peaks” run, which is hitting two summits along the Appalacian Trail. Run up one side, come down, run up the other. Usually a river crossing. A good number of miles. This was 2500′ of climbing. First real hot and humid run for the year, and I got cooked! Took us 4.5 hours, but I was able to get it done because of the energy of my friend.

My Email Guidance offering. People send me an email with their backstory, some links, and their challenges, and I write them back with some ideas and possible solutions with a Stripe link to book for another five emails.

Not every email “converts,” but every email gets my wheels spinning, trying to think of ways to fix problems, present ideas, get some movement into the challenge. It’s all learning. It’s all research. It’s all… energy.

Good energy.

DOUBLE UPS

Doing more of the thing you want to do usually leads to more of what you want to do.

That doesn’t mean I should eat pizza and ice cream everday, of course, but the math adds up soon enough.

Months ago I got back to my running practice. Some days I just couldn’t grind through a three or four mile run.

Sure enough, I wasn’t eating enough to have the energy for those runs, so they always sucked.

Once you start eating to run, running gets easier.

And so now I’ve run 30 miles a week for the past few weeks, and usually hitting 5000′ of elevation along the way.

I’m not the fastest, but I’m probably the only ding dong who runs up and down this dirt road with no guard rail at least once a week.

And this past Sunday I did it twice, because hey, at 48 years old if you’re not challenging yourself, most likely no one else will, either.

THE PORCUPINE TALKS TO ITSELF

Got in a nice six mile run up to the Appalcian Trail. One new trail took my upwards, and I just off onto another which promised me a spring, but it was not well traveled, so I got off course a bit. Thankfully I recently purchased the All Trails app, which set me straight.

I came out to this firebreak, as you can see above. It was quiet and still. Nothing rustling in the underbrush because, well… there was no underbrush.

As I was descneding from the 1000-ish feet I climbed, there he was, a prickley porcupine on the side of the trail. I stopped, and slowly made my way around them. In my youth I heard they can shoot their quills, but nothing of the sort happened. He just went about his business.

Then my pal Kato commented on my Note “‘The porcupine talks to himself.’ Bill Staines PLACE IN THE CHOIR,” so I did a search and found this video:

That about sums it up. This is the second porcupine I’ve seen on my adventures around the Appaclian Trail in the last few years, and really the porcupine just talks to itself. It paid me zero mind. Didn’t scatter off. Wasn’t spooked. Just kept talking to itself and I made my way around him and continued on my run.

RUNNING IS MY CREATIVE PRACTICE

My Social Media Escape Club project takes a lot of energy, but it’s a good energy. It’s regenerative, to a degree. But I can let it take over, too. There’s just always something more to do, to write, another video to make, an interview to schedule.

My creative practice used to be making music, but these days it seems to be running. Yeah, I guess that’s not art, but for me it is. It brightens my day. Gives me energy. I’m inspired by other runners. I get a lot of great ideas out there on the trails.

Climbed over 5,600′ this week, my most ever. I turn 49 next month. Telling you… climbing these hills along the Appalachian Trail is my creative practice. I love it so much.

Put me on a flat surface to run 30 miles a week? Kill me.

But make it 5,000′ of climbing, and I’m in.

MYSTERIES OF THE TRAILS

You just never know what you’ll find out there in the woods. This is my second 1,400′ of climbing in one week. Over 4,000′ for the week, with the weekend to go, yet. The thing I found I love about running is climbing. Even when I’m slow, at least I’m moving up some pretty big hills.

Last year I climbed 83,000′ and so far this year I’m at 17,400′ – I’m behind pace if I wanna do better than 2024!

EIGHT YEARS OF RUNNING

I can’t believe I started running when I was 40 years old, and now I’m 48. Where does the time go? It was 8 years ago today that I started on this adventure.

After a slow and easy winter, I got back to running in April.

Knowing I’d be slow, running on flat ground didn’t sound appealing, so I went for the hills.

Being out of breath and slow just ain’t a fun time. That’s why I started seeking hills to climb, knowing that I’d be slow, but at least I was climbing a mountain, you know?

I always remember the old running adage, “Hills are speedwork in disguise.” I wasn’t looking for speed; I was looking for strength and fitness. Every step up a hill was a single leg press, and every step down was a forward lunge.

Since starting on April 19th I’m down 12.5lbs, and I am definitely stronger and fitter. I’ve put in 75 hours on mostly trails, covered 283 miles, and climbed 36,800′ in elevation (about 7 miles).

Mind you, I’m mostly power hiking the hills, but you gotta walk before you can run. And when I do run, I’m finally able to nail a 12 minute mile pace, which is definitely an improvement from a few months ago when I’d run 14-15 minute miles. A few more months, I’m sure I’ll be able to hit a 10:30 minute mile pace.

The fun part has been how good it’s felt, which is why I keep doing it. It feels good going up a “mountain,” you know? I’ve gone up a trail called Leg Destroyer a few times. Some runs I’ve climbed 1,400′.

It’s been fun getting back in the flow, building up a base again, and making every run an adventure. I might not be doing epic 100 mile challenges just yet, but like I said earlier, gotta walk before you can run.