2013: School, Newport Marathon, Wedding, Europe, School…Make It Happen.

RUNNING
2013 is likely going to be a bit of a down year as far as running races is concerned. However, it is hopefully going to be an up year in all other areas of my life.

My current race schedule is minimalistic:

February 23, 2013 – Snow Joke Half Marathon, Seeley Lake, Montana.

This race will be a fun little half marathon to re-orient myself to running hard. I haven’t raced since July, 2012 and a low-key event should be perfect. No goals for this one; just run hard and see how it goes.

I am also tentatively planning to run a 10k on the track in the spring as another tune up and fitness check with my cousin Ander. I will do some speed work leading up to this race but it won’t be my focus.

The Newport Marathon (Oregon Coast) on 6.01.2013 will be my “A” race.

I am starting a 16 week advanced marathon training program that is modeled after Hal Higdon’s program. I really want to go for a PR but I’m not sure if that will be possible given last year’s injuries and this year’s crazy schedule…but we’ll see! I would love love love to go sub-2:30 but that would all depend on how my fitness comes back around. I ran 2:35 at the Redding Marathon last year which is NOT a fast course but I was also in really good shape so it’s hard to tell how realistic a shot at 2:29 would be. My Redding Marathon Race Report.

Then I may hop in The Nitty Gritty Trail Marathon on September 21st in Red Lodge, Montana. This year doesn’t lend itself to any real major trail Ultras so this will be as close as it gets. Looks like a fun event.

Finally, I want to take a crack at the Mt. Sentinel Hill Climb in November which races up 2.25 miles for roughly 2000 feet of elevation gain. Mt. Sentinel is the mountain that I run a couple times a week from school, super convenient.

Mount Sentinel

So that is my running/racing schedule. It’s definitely a marathon focus year with some fun shorter events sprinkled in. The reason I’m putting off my ultramarathon trail stuff is basically because I’m going to be gone for 2 months in the summer and I’m not going to be able to get the sheer volume in to attack really long races. I think 2014 is going to be the year of the 100k and 2015 will be the year of the 100 miler.

WEDDING
In other news, I’m getting married on June 16th to the love of my life Nikki Grenier! Honestly, when I think about running races up against getting married, races seem pretty dang small in comparison. However, this life changing event could be considered an ultra in and of itself as the wave of wedding planning has hit like a freight train.

To top all this action off, we are also planning the summer trip of a lifetime and something I am very very excited about. Two days after the wedding we will depart for 2 months in Europe:

EUROPE
Norway: We will spend one week in Norway staying with a friend connection of Nikki’s. We also hope to see some sights and stand on some crazy rocks like this:

France: Being that my parents chose to raise me in Hippie Central USA (Eugene, OR), I have to fulfill the stereo type and spend a couple weeks WWOOFing. This stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Me and Nikki are in the process of picking out a farm which is part of this network of WWOOFing farms where we will basically work for room and board in a very beautiful place….we are thinking the French Alps.

Spain: Finally, the main event will be the Pilgrimage. The What!? It’s a 500 mile trek through Northern Spain that spans the entire length of the country. It starts in a little French village called Saint Jean Pied de Port and ends in Santiago de Compostela in the NW region of Spain. However, we will likely tack on the remained 60 miles or so to touch the ocean in Finisterre. There was a movie called The Way that came out a few years ago that spawned the idea. The trek is called El Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James. It is a catholic pilgrimage but people from all walks of life do it for a variety of different reasons. Our reasons are as follows: we desire to experience the beauty of the landscape and connect with the earth in a new way, we want to discover the unique qualities of the people of Spain, we want to challenge our bodies and minds and find fulfillment in overcoming physical obstacles, and we want to explore our spirituality and further develop our relationship with Jesus Christ as we walk along the path that Saint James, the disciple of Christ, once walked himself. We hope that it is a time of change and growth and development that often is experienced when interacting with different peoples and cultures.

LAW SCHOOL
So those are my adventure plans for this year. My other life consists of law school. I will continue to be a full time student from January-May and then again from August-December. Law school has challenged me in so many ways. I’ve read more than I ever have in my life, I’ve doubted myself more than I ever have, I’ve learned more than I ever have, and I’ve pushed myself mentally further than I ever have. I am enjoying this process, although while extremely challenging, I know I have grown because of it. My latest interest is in the area of immigration law and I want to help people in need.…that is why I came to law school…this I can’t forget.

So here’s to 2013!!! I have the most wonderful family and friends and fiancée and nobody but myself can stop me. It’s time to rise up to the occasion and come through in the clutch. 2013 is a clutch year. What a year it will be…