Simply Amazing!!

So as I sit here at my desk, brooding over the Olympic Trials results and articles, I am simply amazed…

June and July have proven to be a bad couple of months for me so far and now this, Goucher doesn’t make it in the 5k and then some how manages to be picked to run in the 10k (even though there were numerous runners faster then him) for which he doesn’t qualify.  And now I read that Alan Webb did not make it either in the 1500…What the heck!  I don’t know why this is upsetting me, I like Alan Webb, but I am not some crazy Webb fanatic.  I am sure his name is getting torn to shreds by numerous runners around the U.S. as you read this.  How can the American record holder in the Mile not qualify???  Well, after reading some articles, he did in fact get the place he deserved, according to the times he has ran so far this year, I think I am just shocked more then anything because he came off such a stellar year in 07 with setting the record and running some very quick 800s.  I think they need to relook at his training program for this year.  Something went wrong.  But then again, we all have bad races, we all have races where we run strong but there are others who run stronger.  I was told by my father when I was little not to get down if you get beat in a race or some sort of competition, learn from it, it’s all part of the life, its all part of the plan.  It is not always about winning.  As mentioned before, I go by the saying, “It’s not the goal…it’s the journey.”   

I do in fact really like Goucher though.  When I was in Colorado, (hanging out on Pearl Street in Boulder), they had cool looking vinyl signs on the street lamps with the Colorado Cross Country and Track runners, and Goucher was in a couple of them.  It was really neat!  If you get a chance to go to Colorado, Pearl Street is a MUST!!  Nothing like little hippies wandering around and all the cool shops, good micro brews, and everyone in Colorado lives for the outdoors…I can see myself living there one day… I am not making fun of Hippies, I am a Dead Head at Heart, there are just a lot of them chilling out on the street, playing music, dancing, what have you…  The same thing goes with State Street in Wisconsin, another real chill place, and lets not forget Haight-Ashbury in San Fran!!!  I was so excited to go see the Dead House, The Red House (Hendrix) and Joplins pad, it was very chill!!!  I love traveling and finding places like that, I am going to Flagstaff AZ and Oregon when I get back in the states, so if anyone wants to put me up…that would be SWEET!!!  So I am rambling…

Back to Track…and probably more rambling…

The news that fires me up is that Kara Goucher is going, along with my Shalane!!  Rockstars!  I am also stoked about the three Oregon related studs going in the Mens 800!  I was really fired up when I read that!  The smiles on their faces really say it all.  All the hard work, the commitment, everything…their journey led them to the trials and now onward to the Olympics.  I find it funny that I was getting so fired up just reading about the trials, I haven’t been able to watch any of the videos due to our filtering system over here, but when I get back in September, you can bet I will take a little time to catch up.  Well, all in all, on a personnel level June and July 2008 have had its ups and its downs.  I am still a little edgy because of what is going on with my Aunt back home, but positive thoughts Josh, positive thoughts…I have my R & R coming up at the end of next month, so that is also getting me fired up.  I am running a half marathon the first weekend and I am hoping to PR.  If I do, it will be extra special because I have done all my training leading up to this race over here in Iraq…which sucks for training.  Unless you like concrete, dust, more concrete, and more dust… Either way, I will have my best friend there rooting me on, and we plan on celebrating right after the race with a couple growlers of Bent River, “American Wheat” Beer!!!!  YES!  This will kick off his Bachelor Party, he decided to wait till the week before his wedding because I will be back to help celebrate.  That was pretty freaking awesome when I heard that news!  We will be rocking a 28 passenger stretched H2 Hummer, and yes, it will get crazy.  Can you tell I am just a little excited?!!  Okay, again back to track.

So now that the trials are over, I will have to focus on my training a little more, I have missed some key long runs due to numerous reasons, but since my routine has now changed, I have more time to train.  Not to mention I have the COL from my command (where I work) helping me out with some training advice, which is pretty cool considering he is one of the big dogs here…and I don’t want to let him down, so I am sticking to the plan.  From this point I have 62 days to my race…62 days, wow, that came really quick.  I really need to make sure I get those long runs in.  I am hitting the shorter distance and the track workouts with no problem, although I hate running track workouts on a tread mill, but I do sweat a lot more…so I guess that is good, right?  I believe all will go well.  I had mentioned in the past that I also went by another motto, “expect the worst and hope for the best”…Well, after some thought, some recent reading, I am not going by that motto anymore.  I am not setting myself up for failure.  Everything I have done so far in my life has been to help create a better life for others and myself.  I look at challenges and say bring it on, I don’t wake up in the morning expecting it to be raining on my parade, I plan on making the best out of every situation.  I am waking up with a smile on my face again, and it feels good.  I am embracing life, and finding out that…it is Simply Amazing!!