so if you're gonna get made, don't be afraid of what you've learned

Written on the front of the card my mom gave me for my 31st b-day was this:

'Decide to be happy and you are halfway there.'

Now, my mom sent this to me about a month ago, and I took a look at it today and the words really just made my sternum want to pop out - right Claire! Seriously, think about it...think about how strong the mind is. We can condition that which is above our shoulders to do some pretty spectacular things. I wanna do something special on August 22nd, and deciding this and really, truly believing it deep within my soul, well. I'm halfway there.

The other half is training the correct way (at least correct for me) and today I did just that. Nostalgia was calling my name, and so I headed out to Lebanon Hills for some running through the woods. This park is where I did nearly all of my recovery runs before NYC - first marathon - in 2006. Man it felt so good to be out there with the sun shining through the tree gaps without any semblance of another soul around just dreaming about the days ahead.

Dennis said to be very conservative today and tomorrow. So I just did a 52 minute run in the am and 47 in the pm. The afternoon run was pretty late because I did not want to pass up a chance to hit up McCoy's for their happy hour. I especially did not want to miss out on a chance to be in the company of DJ, Corey, and Matt M. Pretty fun times . Actually felt surprisingly good for the second run.

Tomorrow will be one run of 12 before the 2nd to last monster session of this cycle. 15 miles (21 with w/u and c/d) at marathon pace hopefully down to half-marathon pace on the last few repeats. I better bring the 'a' game and I better decide I will rip it, then I'll be halfway there. Thanks mom. Really. Thanks.

may you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung

To: Me

From: Dennis Barker

Re: What's Inside of You

Create a picture in your mind of the runner you want to be, then go out and practice being that runner every day.

sent July 24, 2009 8:17 pm

he whistles and he runs so hold him fast

This was one BRILLIANT weekend. The 10k race/time trial Saturday AM turned into a cluster F. I ended up not running the exact course and my offical time is listed as 29:58 but it was quite faster than that. Nobody told me to get on the bike path on the 2nd loop after you cross Cedar Ave, and I stayed on the road dodging the walkers, then realized about 1200 meters later that I was running way further than I should be, and jumped on the bike path around mile 5. I was satisfied though with my effort for the most part. Did feel a bit tired from the training. Afterwards was fun too, getting coffee and lunch with Kristen and her friends. Thanks for the memories peeps.

For the first time in my life, I watched 'Emperor's New Groove' with Heather and Ben Saturday night and let me just say that the message this movie sent set the stage for an excellent Sunday run out on the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge trails. This run was absolutely EFFING epic as my favorite runner in the history of running (besides possibly Jason Lehmkuhle) called me up to go thrash it out. This person was in town for a two-day wedding and he was fresh off a US 7 mile championship This person got taken out behind the woodshed and given a good-old fashioned running beatdown Minnesota style by Vega and me. Just messin'. but we did run 17 decent miles (I added on four more). Incidentally, this person was 2004 Olympic silver medalist Meb. Pretty motivating day, and really I am now pumped more than ever for this thing. He offered, what was just fantastic advice for the World Champs. Thank you Meb and Vega for a really great experience.

124 or so miles last week. One last 7 day stretch of higher volume (120-140 mi... we'll see how I'm feeling). We will have a faster session Tuesday to set up a pretty solid Friday session of 2.5 mile repeats at marathon pace coming down to the LT by the end. It's will be nice because Vega and I are in sync this week compared to going at it alone.

I have absolutely nothing else on the agenda, and so this is a major week of focus. Nothing will be left to chance, absolutely nothing. Not diet, sleep, hydration, training, stretching, strength training, you get the point.

Off to simulate the thin mountain air.....be good!

if you wanna get it big time, go ahead and get it get it big time

Half-tights check. Bandana headband check. Shades check. Garmin GPS check. Throw the arms up in the air at the finish check. Douche bag of the year check.



Perfect night in Mnpls Wednesday evening to run the Torchlight 5k. Workout mode, not race mode. Life Time Fitness has given a lot to our group over the years and they don't ask much in return, so why not run their biggest race of the summer with four of your good buddies. The positive news is that I can tell a lot of fire exists within me at the moment.

Boston Scientific Heart of Summer 10k at Lake Nokomis on Saturday. A good tune-up/rust-bust four weeks out from Berlin. Hoping to run 29 low to mid ish.

Tuesday I ran 10 and 8. Wednesday 10 and 8 with 3 miles at 4:45 pace. Should be at 120-130 this week with a big push next week and then slowly bringing her down.

'Startin to come together, Pepper, Startin to come together!'

what's the world got in store? what's the world got in store for you? what's the world got in store for you now?

Struggled a little bit today with my contribution to the blogsphere. Then my World Champs Marathon teammate - Nathaniel Jenkins- reminded me about this:

Here is the thing that makes life so interesting. The theory of evolution says ‘only the strong shall survive.’ Maybe so. Maybe so. But the theory of competition says that just because their the strong doesn’t mean they can’t get their asses kicked. Thats right! You see what every long shot, come-from-behind underdog will tell ya this: The other guy may, in fact, be the favorite. The odds may be stacked against you. Fair enough. But what the odds don’t know is this isn’t a math test. This is a completely different type of test. One where passion has a way of trumping logic. So before you step to the starting line, before the whistle blows and the clock starts ticking, just remember, out here the results don’t always add up. No matter what the stats say and the experts may think and the commentators may have predicted, when the race is on all bets are off. Don’t be surprised if somebody decides to flip the script and take a pass on yelling ‘uncle.’ And then suddenly, as the old saying goes, we got ourselves a game.

–From the Versus commercial that has been running a lot lately



Not surprisingly, I was a bit tired today for the session. 800s in 2:12 basically. Fairly happy I was able to hit 2:08 for the last one. The last 4 days I have averaged over 20 a day, including nights at 8000+ feet, so that most likely is the reason for the heavy breathing and lack of 'pop' in the legs. Yet, I deposited more into the account and I am at peace with the outcome from the AM.

As I have said before, I draw so much inspiration from the written word. When I read the above lines from the Versus commercial, my heart-rate skyrocketed and adrenaline started flowing all throughout the body. I look very forward to practicing athletics this afternoon. Most likely I will get out for an hour of recovery jogging. My positive thoughts to those who today, are struggling in this world. Peace and love.

close your eyes, clear your heart, cut the cord

Today was uneventful in the life and times of old Matty G. I actually slept last night for 8 or 9 hours straight without having to wake up half-way through to take a leak. This is a good thing and for the life of me cannot remember the last time it happened.

In the AM went over to Harv's and cranked out 15 with Havey, Hanlone and the Nicolini (aka Lehmkuhle) family. Nothing fast, but just good enough. Ran another 6 in the pm and wore half-tights without a shirt around Harriet and Calhoun. I am pretty sure what people were thinking, but you can't control what they actually think so f it. It was comfortable and sleek and that is all that matters.

Let's see, this week...prob another at ~130 with a 5k specific workout, some very light threshold, a 10k race, and a long run. A nice refreshing week before cranking out the final 2.5 weeks pre-taper where I am sure we will become a little more marathon specific. Seems like everything is still coming along. I have no complaints. I feel the good tired you should feel during a marathon training stint.

So Hanlone had a lady within striking distance on Friday night. Things were processing nicely... laughs, smiles, a nice dialogue, and then BOOM he called her by the wrong name. This ended any chance. Thanks, Mike, for reminding the rest of us the importance of, at the very least, remembering the name.

The Twins are actually playing the Rangers on a Sunday evening so I am excited for the night ahead. 3 games over .500 and on the way to the penant! Be good!

keep it upstairs for the grand finale

I love athletics and especially distance running. Is that really a big surprise? Currently I am watching the Heusden KBC Night of Athletics meeting online. This is the first year out of the past 4 that I am not in Belgium racing the 5k in Heusden. I was always fortunate to get into the section I needed to be in. Anwyay, nothing beats thousands of inebriated Belgians going crazy at a track meet. The atmosphere here is just wild....great music blasting ting, announcer has huge energy and enthusiasm, and most importantly always fantastic performances all around. I miss it, so bless the internet.

The session yesterday was outstanding. Nothing too crazy or intense, but a run that left me feeling once again that the marathon training is progressing right on schedule. I felt strong, my arm carriage was comfortable, and my stride felt just right.

McGregor and Carrie came out to display their loyalty. These are my two favorite teammates and training partners in the entire world. I think I appreciate them so much, because there is nothing fake about the relationships I have with each of them. We are always brutally honest with each other, good or bad.

There is a very hilly loop along the Highland Golf Course in St. Paul where we did this long marathon paced run. I was able to set up refreshment bottles on my car so I could grab my special electrolyte beverages each lap. I avg'd about 5:05 a mile on this course which is actually a pretty good clip considering how challenging it is. I do feel fit, almost like I am a real distance runner.

I have learned how important it is to have the legs very strong in order to perform your best at the end of a marathon. While uphill repeats are great and necessary, i think it is extremely important and extremely necessary to also run fast downhill in order to really condition the quads et al. That's why the loop we did the run on is perfect because you get up and you get down. Also, from a mental standpoint you really have to grind it out on this loop after about half-way. It is one tough effin loop.

I am off to meet Deej and his dad for 18 down near Chanhassen. It is so chilly here, in fact I wore long tights and a long sleeve this morning, which wasn't necessary, but I want to be ready for heat in case Berlin weather is not favorable for marathoning on Aug 22. Also, keg beer sucks. That's another thing I miss about Belgium....without any doubt whatsoever, the best beer in the world is brewed by the Belgian Monks.

some of us stand with our face to the fire but all of us breathe the smoke

Anybody who says that someone who listens to music while running isn't a 'real runner' can kiss my grits. One of the highlights of my day is getting out for the second run by myself and cranking the tunes on the Shuffle. I especially like it in the summertime when one can run shirtless and just sweat it out with tons of people getting fit around the Lakes. Just really great positive energy in this situation.

A very, very easy day today. All I did was 12 miles down at Hyland Hills on the trails. Dennis said to just run once today to save the legs a bit for tomorrow's marathon specific session. That I did.

I really, really cannot wait to do this thing tomorrow. Pretty much a full dress rehearsal starting with the pre-race meal the night before and morning of, practicing fluid intake, pace work, etc. McGregor just texted and said she is going to come out and show some love/support. All the best to me. Hopefully your wildest dreams are coming true as well.

run on and on the lonliness of the long distance runner

Today, I draw inspiration from a homeless man carrying a plastic bag over his shoulder with what appeared to be empty aluminum cans and possibly some tshirts, but I am not sure. As I was running back and forth on Boom Island, this gentleman stopped to chat with Dennis who was standing at one end of the dirt path. They chatted, Dennis told him what we were out there for, and the guy said that I needed to listen to Iron Maiden 'The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner' to get me going before the race in Berlin on August 22. Done and done.

Solid workout too of short mile-3k paced intervals. Lots of unique individuals on the Island today. One dude looked like Forrest Gump when he was running all over the US. Honestly, I felt very strong, and this sets me up nicely for the impending marathon specific mother on Friday. Edgecumbe Hills will be tough, but I really gotta nail this one to make certain that I can handle a sustained effort at the goal pace. This will also justify to myself that feeling good as of late isn't a fluke. Drive it like ya stole it as Hos says.

better run run run put your armor on again

Random thoughts from the day.....

*new season of entourage *ticket to berlin:roger that *roommate request:roger that *the official shipment from unitedstatesofamericatrack&field came with all the uniform pieces *reebok *ive gotta remember to order a new pair of reeboks from Jennifer *taikan IB II is an awesome flat, red, but awesome *so this thing has never been more official *just looking forward to COMPETING *i want to run a huge PR in the 2:12-2:13 range.

athletics practice today: ran 12 in the am with Lehm on the river bottoms. outstanding running terrain. trudged 6 in the pm & felt like shit. that's the way the waves crash sometimes. that actually just came to me. busy day tomorrow...run, work, walk dogs, do a workout, watch the Twins. Let's keep this train rollin'!

get after it!

Another year of CTTC has come and gone. What a fantastic weekend! Carrie, Kam, and crew have put together an awesome camp....the kids were outstanding as well and I am positive they had a GREAT time. I was lucky enough to be the featured speaker on Saturday night before the big dance (by the way hip hop class at LTF has really brought me along:) It was very rewarding and fun to be able to share the revelations I have had over the past three months with 100 other people. I think it went quite smooth if I do say so myself. Nobody fell asleep from what I could tell!

135 miles this past week with a Tokyo style 25 mile run to end the week. The workout days were Monday and Thursday with 5k work and threshold work respectively. I got my doors blown off on some strides on the soccer field at St. Kate's one day during camp. Heather Dorniden took me out behind the woodshed and broke me down. However, I am starting to feel very, very strong - and more importantly confident - for the first time in about 9 months. I think that I am in the perfect postition in the training cycle at the moment. August 22nd is roughly 6 weeks away, and over the next four or so a lot of marathon specific paced workouts will happen. We will throw a race into this mix at the end of July. Heading to Berlin August 11 to meet up with Dan Browne for the final 10 days before the race. Good times!!!

Also got to watch the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Saturday with all the campers. Throw the Tour into the mix, and I have all the motivation one needs to get out and run a TON. Anyway, shout to David Thompson for a solid finish at LTF. He was able to address the campers after the race and I think the looks on their faces showed tremendous respect. I want so bad to be as ripped as those guys, but it ain't gonna happen unless I start droppin' laps pool style. F that.

More miles, and definitely more sleep. Here's to a week of bliss.

when life gives you lemons you paint that shit gold

Mike Hanlon (aka Han-lone) tripped me today - AGAIN. The funny thing is right before it happened I pictured it happening in my mind because he was riding it pretty close. I caught myself with my hands on the dirt path and dealt with the burning sensation, got up and didn't yell but lightly shouted 'Mike you are the only one who trips me.' It happened one other time on the Apple Valley loop on the paved bike paths this past spring. That time I got pissed (mainly because life was kicking me in the nuts HARD at that point in time) and finished the 20 miler running 5:20s. This time it was different. I kept relatively calm, and actually felt bad because Han-lone turned and ran the other way because he was expecting a different reaction. I convinced him that everything was fine and to get his butt back here with our group of 5. No 5:20s I promised Mike - he was expecting the same as last time and it wasn't about to happen.

I guess my point is this....I have grown a lot as a human being since March 23, 2009. I am more calm. I recognize that you can't let things out of your control, control you. I have gotten mad in races for people impeding my stride (been known to yell at some of the local Kenyans), thrown full Powerade bottles against the curb at halfway of a marathon because I missed my water bottles because they were in the wrong place, or gotten pissed off because certain workouts have sucked. Dennis and I have had some good talks... about just doing what your mind and body will let you do on the current day and not letting little things matter or bother. Upper body relaxation, he always says, will let the legs then turnover easier. I now realize that the mind is part of the upper body and that must stay relaxed also.

There was also a lochness monster/brontosaurus torso and neck sticking out of Lake Harriet this morning. I don't think we scared it because it never moved. I will do some detective work and get to the bottom of this. Speaking of bottom....bottomless 1000s tomorrow. I gotta go set up the shuffle with some random tunes and get in the second 10 miler of the day. Oh and pull ups. Meeting a new special friend at the Gnome tonight as well. Belgium nostalgia at the moment, so that will be the cure tonight. A shout out to my buddy Stephen Haas...I feel your pain my friend, I really do. Stick to the plan. Stick to your plan.

Last Friday

So last Friday was our first planned marathon simulation deal. Dennis always has me practice the pre-race routine on these days....getting up 4 hours before we begin, eating what I will be eating on race morning, sipping water and my secret electrolyte beverage, etc. The run was scheduled to begin at 10am in order to get in some traning in warmer temps and higher humidity. I underestimated both of these. Also, Lundo ran the first 2 of the planned 4 - 3.5 mile loops which was outstanding. But my workout didn't please me.

I already was kinda dealing with some stomach issues this week and that morning was no exception - I blame some of this on the previous evening's pesto. Normally I have a stomach of steel and can eat anything, but I had some trouble during the run and especially after. I could have been a little dehydrated also, but I feel like I get in a crapload of water and electrolyte beverage so who knows.

Warmed up for 3 miles easy. After about a mile of the scheduled 14 miler I wasn't feeling like myself. I only made it 10.5 and shut it down, which is disappointing yet at the same time a pretty good call. The plan for this workout was not to run 5 min pace or anything faster, but to just get a nice sustained run in at what was supposed to feel like a solid pace. Mile one was 5:14, two 5:19, and then a bunch of 5:10-5:12s with a last mile of 5:08. Pretty lousy 3 mile cool down after.

After evaluating everything about this workout, I would say my fitness is very high. The pace of this run was very, very comfortable. I think it's a matter of maybe being a bit more hydrated, getting used to the heat and humidity (it was nearly 80 with a pretty muggy feel to the air), and just letting the body adapt to all the miles in the legs from the past few weeks.

Saturday I felt great on the country roads of Belmond, IA and put in a solid 16 miler so that is a good sign. 6min-6:10 pace the last half was clicking off nicely. The surfaces out there were absolutely perfect. Sometimes you can get huge chunks of gravel which is annoying, but the roads were pretty packed down and the footing was nice.

This week will be a hard effort on Monday and probably Thursday. I'm a counselor at Carrie's camp and look forward to seeing the kids and trying to squeeze in 130 miles. The weather looks to be nice and warm and humid. Good stuff.

On a social note, the weekend 4th of July festivities were out of control in Belmond. I had a blast and it was so good to see old friends and family. I came back to Minneapolis with some great stories that will only be discussed on runs with the boys. Smiling just thinking about some stuff.

Take advantage of the week ahead.

was trying to find me something but i wasn't sure just what

You ever have those days....the days where you wonder what exactly the purpose is? You have all the motivation you could ask for staring you directly in the face to get out there and do some extraordinary things, yet sometimes you sit there and can only ask what for?

Today was not one of those days. All the motivation was there....I got out the door early with Zac, Annie, and the Jogger for an easy 8, went to work for 4 hours, set up my new toy, received a massage, and ran another easy 6. Only 14 total for the day, but only because Lehm told me to learn from his mistakes... 20 miles tomorrow with 14 or so at marathon pace looms. It was a busy day, so I didn't even have time to ask myself what exactly I was doing. It just all fell into place.

This weekend I will venture to Belmond, Iowa, population 2505 for the annual 4th of July celebration. The Corner Bar, parade, BBQ in the park, and fireworks traditionally make this one of my favorites of the year...just really good to see all fam and friends who are back in B. Lots of support there for my efforts especially. Plus I love running out on the dirt roads in the Iowa country with nothing but corn all around you.

Next week and the following week will be relatively big training weeks. I hope to run between 120-130 miles with a lot of marathon paced efforts, and also with some mile, 5k, and 10k paced workouts mixed in there. Throw in some threshold and a 30 mile run and this marathon will be a piece of cake - right!!?? Planning on racing a 10k on July 25, and playing a lot of golf in between. Loving the Minnesota summer, but can't wait to get to Berlin.