Lose Some, Win Some.

If I've learned anything about running, it's that it is always a little unpredictable. And that keeps it interesting.

But every now and then, "unpredictable" means that I'm going to have a crappy run. Maybe it's the weather, or my feet, or my legs, or the road, or any of a dozen other things. But it's a crappy run, for sure.

That was my Friday.

Not sure why, but when I started running, my legs felt awkward and clunky. I tried to run, then to jog, and ultimately to walk, but nothing felt smooth and comfortable. I just couldn't get into a groove.

Fortunately, I was running at the gym on the treadmill, so I had other options. I slogged through a mile, then I moved to the bike for four miles and the elliptical for another single mile. I was happy that I didn't give up, though, and that I stuck with the workout.

Contrast that with today. I started out with the same awkward feeling, but soon enough I found my rhythm. The run felt so good that I decided to keep going at the 5K mark and ran a total of 5 miles, instead.

Running. It doesn't always work like you think it should. But that's no reason to quit. Because when it's good, it's really good.

5 miles and lots of sweat later

I'll Take This Victory.

Some days, I feel awesome, like I can take on the world and win. Other days, it's as if the universe is conspiring against me and I've failed at everything before I even begin.

And that's the reality of life. There will always be tough days. But even a bad day can have bright spots. And if you can't find one, make one.

Today, my great moment came as I finished today's Sunrise 5k. I had set a goal, met it, and even slightly exceeded it. So no matter what else comes my way today, this victory is mine to celebrate all day long.

"From Fat To Finish To Fat": A Story Still Being Written

If you have read this blog any time in the last five years, you are probably already familiar with the basics of my story. I was a skinny kid and a lean Marine, but afterwards, eating and drinking without exercise began to take its toll on my body and my health. Then I started exercising, eating right, and running, and things got better.

I was this guy:

Who became this guy:

Who then took part in this documentary:

I officially became Runner 12 (and unofficially Captain Awesome). I appeared on my own page of Runner's World Magazine. And I walked a red carpet at the film premiere. 

So, this is another great story about someone who set goals, worked to accomplish them, and lived happily ever after. Right?

Wrong.

Because over the last year, I did nothing as I once again became this guy:

By July 19th, 2015, my weight had ballooned back up to 235 pounds. And for whatever reason, that was my line in the sand. It was time to take control again and start making better choices.

So I did.

It's now August 5th, eighteen days later. In that time, I've started my training program for the Revel Canyon City Marathon, stopped eating junk food for every meal, and already dropped ten pounds.

And now, again, I'm this guy:

And my long-winded point? I have a few.

1. As long as you draw breath, you are taking actions that either move you along towards your goal or push you farther away from it. Choose wisely.
2. It's easier to stay in shape than to get back into shape.
3. It's never too early and it's never too late to stop making bad choices.
4. Some days will be good, some will be bad. Don't beat yourself up over a mistake.
5. Even the most fit athletes in the world have a bad game. Or a bad run. Or a bad swim. It happens.
6. Don't compare yourself or your progress to that of anyone else. Focus on you, your goals, and your strengths.
7. If you need help, ask for it. Maybe you want a running buddy, or a gym partner, or just a friend willing to listen as you vent. Whatever it is, if you need it, don't stop until you get it.
8. Reward yourself along the way. Life doesn't sit on hold while you reach your goal, so celebrate the milestones.
9. Dream big. Sign up for that new, longer distance. Or a triathlon. Or a trail race. Do something different and challenging.
10. Remember that you are worth the effort to build a happier, healthier you. It isn't about reaching a goal weight, or hitting some arbitrary BMI, or even setting a PR. It's about being good to yourself and enjoying the rewards that come along with that.

My story is still being written, and I have no idea what might be coming next. But I do know that I am in control of me, my attitude, and my choices. And I'm going to keep being awesome.

Suck It, Barter Hill.

I'll admit, I have been feeling pretty cocky about my marathon training. The shorter distances and slower paces have been pretty easy. Heck, even the 10 mile run last Saturday wasn't too bad.

But today was different. I was a few minutes into my warm-up mile and I already felt like it was going to be a bad run. At the mile mark, I increased my pace to 10:09 per mile. And less than a half mile later, I hit Barter Hill.

This doesn't feel good today. You could do the miles, instead.

You're just hungry from not eating breakfast. You should run the miles after work.

So what if you blow off one training run? You're still running twelve miles Saturday.

See? Barter Hill. It's where I start making deals with myself to do anything except complete the task at hand.  It starts with a kernel of self-doubt and builds to a full-blown attack on my confidence and determination.

Unless...

I dig deep, tell myself there is no way around the task except to finish it, and I keep going. That's what happened today. I shook off the "stop" attitude, turned the music up a bit louder, and fought to find a running rhythm. At the end of my scheduled five mile run, I felt powerful and successful.

It doesn't always work. Sometimes, the voices of doubt get too loud and I cave. When that happens, I feel like crap emotionally long after any physical soreness would have faded. And that's my lesson, the big take-away.

Don't let temporary weakness (physical or mental) become more than it is. Push back and fight back. The victory at the end is that much sweeter knowing how much you worked for it.

Confidence, like sweat, is very sexy.

"Want to run the blah blah blah?" "Sure!"

I'm just the guy who can't say no, apparently. Ask me to join you for a running event and my response is, "shut up and take my money!"

Want to see what it looks like? Here's my running schedule for Oct/Nov:

• Oct 18-19 Capital to Coast Relay (Austin, Texas)
• Oct 27 Marine Corps Marathon (Washington, DC)
• Nov 2 Hard Rock 5k (Los Angeles, CA)
• Nov 8-9 Ragnar Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
• Nov 15-16 Ragnar Trail Vail Lake (Temecula, CA)

Yep. I'm booked with a different running event every weekend for five weekends in a row.

I'm a runner. Stop me before I register again.*

* I'm kidding. There's no stopping me!

"Y U No Tri?"

Since getting up off of my couch in June 2010, I've done a lot of things I never thought I would. From Obstacle Challenges to Relays to Marathons, I've taught myself to say "Yes!" to whatever new opportunity presents itself.

It was only a matter of time, then, before this question presented itself to me:

Yep, it was inevitable. Friends think it's time for me to go all in and compete in a triathlon.

And I thought about it. I really did. It would be a new challenge, certainly, and it would require a big step outside of my comfort zone. It's the perfect next step.

Still, I resisted. I couldn't quite get myself to the point where taking part in a triathlon sounded like something I wanted to do.

Finally, I understood why I was pushing back against the idea.

I don't want to.

What, you were expecting something earth-shattering and brilliantly insightful? Sorry, not this time. It really is as simple as that.

I enjoy running. Not every day and not every run, but overall. I love how it makes me feel. And I enjoy the different types of runs, too. Marathons are a very different challenge than a weekend relay race, for example. But it's still running.

Biking annoys me. I don't like relying on a piece of equipment to get me from Start to Finish. If my legs hurt, I can press on. But if my tires go flat, I'm screwed. It's that dependence on something other than myself that bothers me.

Swimming? Meh. I like being above the water when boating and I enjoy being under the water scuba-diving, but swimming? No, thanks. It just doesn't appeal to me.

And here's the weird part. I'm okay with saying "no." I don't feel like I'm missing out, or wimping out, or somehow less of an athlete because I don't want to compete in a full triathlon. I'm comfortable watching from the sidelines, cheering on my amazing TRI friends, and enjoying my runs.

50 State Running Challenge... Accepted.

My friend (and Ragnar Teammate) Rik is planning to run a marathon in each of the fifty states. Pretty impressive, right? I've decided to take that idea and modify it just a bit. Instead of marathons, I am going to count any official, organized running event.

Yes, I am aware it's a big challenge. But what the heck? I'm not setting any time limit on it. As long as I am still able to run (or walk, if it came to that), I can still work on crossing states off of my list.

So far, I have run in seven states.

Obviously, I have run other events. But the ones listed here are the first for each of the states.

So... where to next?