Home again

I've tried several times in the last 5 weeks, to write this blog post. Until now, it has been very difficult to wrap my head around what happened in the 4 months between Jan 9th and May 9th. I am just now getting to the point where I can think about the run and not (still) have it scare the living crap out of me. It's hard to explain why I feel a bit uneasy looking at a map of the U.S. and I am not sure if I really KNOW why, but I will try and shed some light on it and maybe in doing so, I can better understand what is going on in my own head and perhaps I can help other people conquer some of their fears, or maybe, talk some sense into anyone thinking about doing something as crazy as we did :)

It started with a tweet "I think I'm going to run across the country" 6 months before we left the pier in Huntington Beach. It would be my "Run for Liberty" where I would use my love for running to voice my displeasure at what I see as an overreaching government, and more personally, speak out about my own "tax situation". With that first tweet, I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. I have always been a dreamer and I like to challenge myself with big goals. I know, having done it a few times, how the road to achieving your goals, can be a real roller coaster ride and that it is usually "darkest before the dawn" and how hard it can be to stay the course. I knew the preparation and planning that would go into it, the sacrifice and focus, the training and pain, the excitement and yes, doubt that would all be part of this adventure. Failing, however, would never enter my mind. And if it did? "I'll crawl if I have to" I'd say, and few who know me, doubted me. Winning at all costs? During my journey, I came to realize that some costs are too high (more on that later). First, some statistics...

Our journey lasted 121 days ending in Hebron, Ohio. In that time, I ran 2,336 miles in 100 running days, averaging 23.3 miles a day. I ran for 558 hours, through 10 states. My longest day was 33.15 miles and 7.71 was my shortest. I ran an "ultramarathon" (more than 26.2 miles) 21 of those days. 82 of the days were over 20 miles. The longest stretch without a rest day was 20 days, covering 519 miles. I burned approximately 280,320 calories over the entire run and each one of my feet hit the ground about 3,017,250 times. That's a lot of pounding and in the end, I think was responsible for me falling 525 miles short.

So, what Happened?

I can't stand the thought of quitting! I can be very stubborn and persistent. It's ironic that my stubbornness is what most likely led to me having to stop. I want to be really careful not to start placing blame. I take full responsibility for my decisions and I could have done some things differently and most likely had a better outcome, but to explain what happened, I need to tell the story as it happened.

First of all, I believe in the benefits of barefoot running. It is a great way to improve your form and force yourself to forefoot strike. But like anything, too much of a good thing can be bad. My goal from the beginning was to run across the country in the Vibrams. I imagined that they would want to sponsor me as I would be one of, if not THE first to do so in their shoes. I would find out about a month into the run that they would pass on sponsoring me because I was "Political". Well, this just solidified my determination to cross in the Vibrams. Didn't they realize that by NOT sponsoring me that that was sending a more powerful political message? Didn't they read this from my website? Now I HAD to finish in the Vibrams. Like I said, I'm stubborn.

The first couple of months, my feet held up pretty well. I did bruise my right heal in the first week, after landing pretty hard on some rocks as we were off road in the California desert. But it wasn't bad and it really didn't affect me too much. In fact, looking back at video, I am pleased with how we took those mountains fairly easily. The first time I can remember running into any trouble, was near the beginning of Oklahoma. Chris and I both got sick. He was throwing up, but me, since I never seem to throw up, just felt sick for a couple of days. It slowed my pace and generally messed up my rhythm. I also started missing my family ALOT! I would get pretty emotional out there and I had a few good cries in Oklahoma. I know, sort of embarrassing, but anyone who has done any endurance sports probably know what I mean.

Things turned around a bit (emotionally) in Oklahoma City. We got our first major press coverage there and it felt great to finally start getting our message out. A few days later, we got to Tulsa Oklahoma and spent a couple days with my family. This really helped lift my spirits. We were about half way to New York and physically I was still in decent shape. The front parts of my feet were starting to go numb, but it didn't concern me too much. I still had energy and numb feet were better than painful feet. We were still a couple of days ahead of schedule at this point, so even though I had stepped up the mileage to about 150 miles a week, we were still taking rest days every 6-8 days.

Time was a concern. I really did not want to finish later than May 28th. I had a couple of family things that I wanted to attend to, also, every day that we were out there, cost money and money was an issue (more on that later). We ended up taking an extra rest day in Tulsa and then another day (due to weather) a couple of days later in Chelsea, OK. Now, my comfortable cushion of time was dwindling away. I felt the pressure. By the time we hit Missouri, I was really focused. I thought of little else besides staying on schedule. I did 20 days straight, covering 519 miles. I felt ok during this time (energy wise) in fact, I think I enjoyed Missouri the most. But, things started falling apart with my feet. Anytime I ran on the interstate, things went well. Big wide shoulders with very little debris and rocks. Running on the back roads was a different story.

As you can see, the shoulder is full of ROCKS! If I had been in shoes, I could have ran right over them, but after a couple thousand miles, every tiny little rock felt like a hot poker. Bummer! On roads with a lot of traffic, it was real hard to keep any sort of decent pace. It was much harder to walk than it was to run, both physically and psychologically. The slower pace added hours onto my time everyday, which in turn wore me down physically. By the time I hit Ohio, I was deteriorating rapidly. We took a rest day at the Ohio state line and I knew my feet were pretty bad. They hurt every night up until this point, but I was always surprised at how they would bounce back (relatively) the next morning. I would swear at the end of every day, that my feet wouldn't work the next morning, but somehow, they would feel better the next day. This was starting to not be the case. They had gone from feeling numb to feeling numb and swollen. I also started to feel worn down and sick. Due to the longer days, I often lacked the energy to eat properly at the end of the day. Not good! I used the rest day to try and refuel and give my feet an ice bath (something I'd rather not talk about :). Ironically, as bad as I felt, the day at this Ohio campsite is one of my more fonder memories. It was a rainy day, Chris and Mike went and got some pizza and beer and we sat and listened to music. It was one of the few times I stopped thinking for a moment and enjoyed where I was at. It was day 114.

The next week, and Ohio was pretty much a blur. To stay on schedule, I would need to do at least 25 miles a day. I did 102 miles in the next 4 days and needed another rest day. Things at this point, did not look good. We took a rest day just outside of Columbus and even after resting for a day I was still wrecked. Two rest days after 100 miles, with 550 miles to go. This was the "I'll crawl if I have to" point. Up until now, Mike and "The Galt" would generally go ahead 25 miles or so and find a base camp for the evening. Chris had been riding on his own since Oklahoma (which made more sense, time wise, now that we were out of the desert) and I was running alone with my Nathan hydration pack. If I was going to continue, we needed another strategy. We decided to take it 5 miles at a time. Mike went up 5 miles and waited for me and Chris, it was more of a security blanket for me. If I got in trouble, I wouldn't be out there alone. We did this for 21 miles ending in Hebron, Ohio. I had enough. Chris said I looked like I was in some sort of controlled fall forward mixed in with a shuffle. I ended the day saying that I would see how I felt tomorrow. I was dehydrated and weak. I woke up the next day and knew there was no way I could go back out. I was done. We decided to go 25 miles east, to a campground and see if I could get it together.

There were many factors at play in our decision to stop. First and foremost, at that point I couldn't continue. I have been in situations where I was extremely uncomfortable and in pain. Ironman Arizona '08, where 17% of the field did not finish and this race comes to mind. I feel like I know the difference between wanting to stop and not being able to continue. I felt that my body was done and if I tried to keep going, I was going to do some serious damage to my body. But, it didn't stop me from questioning my resolve. In any event, if I were to try and keep going, I would have to rest up for a few days. Chris, Mike and I talked and I decided to give it a day to see how I felt. I did some major soul searching that night. Not only would I be stopping, but it would force all three of us to stop. This weighed heavily on me as well. It would have to be our decision and the guys were very supportive and I am very thankful for that.

I learned a lot about myself while I was out there. 558 hours of running gives you a lot of time to think. It was like a walkabout meets a near death experience. Not to be overly dramatic, but it really did show me what is important and what is not, on so many levels. It also made me reflect back on my life. Everything came into sharp focus. Some good things, some not so good. One of the "not so good things" is the fact that I have been very selfish at times in my life. This weighed heavily in my decision to stop. I started to think about what I would be risking if we took a week for me to recover. We would be late for sure. It would cost more money (which was getting tight). It would also eat into my remaining time with my daughter Brittany, who is getting married and moving to Colorado at the end of July, and possibly make me late for my daughter's graduation. All things that I was unwilling to sacrifice. I kept thinking, am I willing to sacrifice these things for my pride. At that point, I felt like continuing at all costs would be yet another thing that I was selfish about, so I could say "I ran from CA to NY". Perhaps I was delirious, but I know I wasn't making excuses. The run was over and my body was done. Looking back now, I know I made the right decision. But at the time, it was devastating.

We stayed at the campground for another day and then drove back home in 3 days. My recovery has been difficult. I didn't realize how long it would take to feel "normal" again. I spent the first 2 or 3 weeks, laying in bed. Part exhausted part depressed. It's hard to explain exactly how I've felt. For close to the last year, my life has revolved around this run. When I got home, nothing looked the same. I could write a book on this subject alone. It has been really hard to get my bearings on things. I have felt like a fish out of water. Perhaps some of it is because we didn't finish. A sort of limbo? Or, perhaps, I have changed profoundly and I need to find myself again. I have started to feel better now that I have started training again (mostly cycling) and have worked a few days. Idle time is not good for the body or the mind. But, I am actually starting to feel "normal" again (whatever that means).

So, what now?

Like I said, it has been hard for me to wrap my head around the run. As I start to train again, I am thinking a lot about going back out and finishing. Honestly, that thought has only been in my head for the last week or so. But now, it actually sounds appealing. We learned so much in those 4 months. Things that we could do to make the last 525 miles easier. Also, ways that we could be more effective with our message. There is still work to be done. Maybe, we'll go out and finish the run and then go to some key states and campaign for some candidates... Nevada?? Oh boy! Here I go again......

I apologize if this post is a little rambling and not very elegant sounding. I had to cover a lot of ground and it was hard to get it all down in written form. But, I didn't want to put it off any longer. There is still so much more to say. I do think I am going to start writing a book about my experiences out there. There are some things that I think might help some people, like how I dealt with my panic disorder while I was out there, etc. But, like I said, way too much to post here.

I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who followed the run! I can't begin to tell you all how much it meant to us to have your support and read your posts on our adventure. It made me feel much less alone out there. I really miss talking to everyone :( I've laid low these last few weeks, I figure you all could use a respite from me and my posts after all the posts during the run ;-) Now that I have actually addressed what happened, I can start talking about the future.

Soldier on!

Paul

Christopher Creek, AZ

Tomorrow, it will be one month since we left on my " Run for Liberty". It's been 30 days and we've gone roughly 550 miles, through 2 states. It's hard to believe that I have covered every one of those miles with my own two feet, under my own power. The irony is, the running has been the easy part. Yes, it hurts at times, especially towards the end of a 26 or 27 mile day, of which there has been quite a few. But for me, running is a comfort, it's familiar. I trained for months, specifically for what I am doing now. I know it well and I usually know what to expect. I wish I could say the same about everything else on this journey.

Everyday brings a new challenge of which I have little control. Most of the logistical duties are handled by Mike. He finds the next base camp, after I determine (roughly) how far we'll be running and riding that day. I look on my Maps app on my iPhone and I try, as best I can, to scope out a road or area that we can safely park, from the sattelite view of the area. Then it goes something like this. "Ok, go up about 24 1/2 miles and you should see a road, we probably can't go any further because there's nothing for another 18 miles". Then, if all goes well, Mike texts or emails the base camp location to me and we run into base camp. So far, that's happened maybe twice :) Ah... The control thing, we have very little of it.

Right now, I am laying in a bed (for the first time in a month) in a cabin in Christopher Creek, AZ, being taught a thing or two about control (or lack thereof). Christopher Creek is a very small town off the (main) highway 260. It has a market, a church and a restaurant/bar called the Creekside Steakhouse. There are 2 mobile home parks and the rest of the residences are cabins. I suspect that most people that live here are happy to be tucked away in the middle of nowhere.

As we were running into "town" on Friday and commenting on how we may have just stepped into heaven (it reminds us of the town in "Big Fish" but with lots of snow) Mike pulled up in my xTerra with the bad news. "The Galt is broken". The leaf spring broke and up until Friday, I'd never heard of a leaf spring. Well, it's now Monday and I sure as hell know about leaf springs. First off, if you are driving 20 miles to a junk yard to find a replacement, take the old one with you before paying $50 for one that's "close, but won't work". Secondly, if you break a leaf spring in the middle of nowhere, you'll probaby have to drive at least 90 miles to get a new one and wait until Monday to do it.

I guess it's ironic that I am running across the country and I am being stopped by a trailer. I don't really know what to think about that. I have been tempted to strap on my Nathan and just go. Or maybe Chris and I could set out and Mike can hang back and catch up when it gets fixed or maybe I should just chill, (did I mention the snow?) "let go" be thankful for the rest and enjoy this little fairy tale town we stumbled into. I mean , there must have been a reason that this happened here, right in front of the Creekside Steakhouse. It could have happened anywhere and as bad as I want to go, I already miss this place.

We did go another 8 miles to the top of the rim on Saturday. At 7,500' elevation, it pretty much flattens out. So today (hopefully) after the Galt gets fixed, Mike will drive us there and we have 23 miles to Heber. After that, we start the long decent to route 66. We are about 310 miles to Albuquerque and will try to make it there by the 20th for a charity 5k.

Hmm, I wonder how much control I have over this one.....

PB

Mobile Blogging from here.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

The waiting

2 weeks until we leave.... and I am sick :(

Not "super bad" sick, just "feel generally shitty" sick. I've taken the last 3 days as rest days, which worked out okay, since it is Christmas :)

Aside from battling this nasty cold (or whatever it is) I have been doing very well in my training. Last week I ran 73 miles and my body is holding up well. I am fully acclimated to my Vibrams, and now, I don't even notice that I am not wearing conventional running shoes. As of today, I have 492 miles on my first set of Vibrams (classics) and they are still going strong. My parents bought me a pair of KSO's for Christmas. These will be better for the cold weather as they cover more of the foot.

I also got a great rain jacket from REI. The Marmot PreCip Jacket

It is tough to dress appropriately when you are running in cold weather. I HATE being cold and I always tend to wear too much when going out on a run, even though I know that 5 minutes in, I will be shedding clothing. I am going to have to go into REI and try different layers under this jacket and try and anticipate the conditions I will be in, the next few months. The jacket is a small and I plan on wearing it over my Nathan hydration pack as well. I have to make sure it will fit in a small. I may have to exchange it for a medium. Did I mention I hate being cold!

Speaking of weather, at least Chris and I will be shielded from the elements, somewhat, in our shiny, new (to us) trailer! Our home for the next 4 odd months, our own 15' of luxury.....

THE GALT MOBILE!!!

That's right! Chris found this little beauty and we couldn't pass it up. It will tow behind my XTerra perfectly and I think it says "Rugged Individualism" like no other trailer (in our price range) that I have seen.

Speaking of "Going Galt", I made a difficult decision a couple of weeks ago, that I won't get into at this time, but although it was a hard choice to make, it afforded the run to become self sustaining, financially. Without us having to take donations or turning the Galt Mobile into "NASCAR" with logos all over it. Now, the only logos or stickers on it, will be ones we really want, to promote our message. We'll have our PubQuest banner and some cool stickers alluding to "Atlas Shrugged" and the like. I'd love to find someone to paint this on the side.

Or maybe this



Then again, we don't want to call too much attention to ourselves. I already feel like I'll be dodging bullets out there. And Chris? well he's afraid of something else entirely.

In any event, we are close and it is VERY real! I am starting to pack and get everything together. Next week, I'll wrap things up at work, and the next week, will be spent making final preparations and alterations to The Galt and buying food, etc. I am really looking forward to this, as running all of these miles and working has been extremely taxing. Hmmm... interesting that I would use that word ;)..... taxing. I digress.

Again, I have to apologize for not updating my blog more often. I have thought many times of abandoning this space since it is so much easier to just update twitter and facebook. But this really is a special place where I feel like I can talk about things that I can't on those other spaces. But, having said that, I do know that once we leave, I won't be able to update here, as much as I would like. So, if you would like to follow, please follow us on twitter and facebook. Also, of course, the "Run For Liberty" website and our "Run For Liberty" facebook page.

Anyone that is in the area, we are leaving the morning of Jan. 9th from the HB Pier. We'll be down there at 8 am and plan to start around 9. Julie from PubQuest is riding the first 3 days with us and it she is helping us coordinate the Craft Breweries and Brew-Pubs that we are stopping at along the way. I have added the places we are stopping, as events on our facebook page, so stop by there to see where we will be the first 3 days. I will be adding them as we make our way across the country. It is a lot of work and since the schedule may change a bit here and there, I felt it better to do it as we go along.

It's already been such a long road and we haven't even started yet. I am tired of waiting. I just want to run!

Paul

8 weeks to go!

It seems like yesterday when I posted that it was 180 days until the start of the run. Well, a few days back, we hit the 90 day mark and just as I was getting ready to blog about it, we went and changed the date. We are now leaving

Sat. Jan 9th!!!

Which, according to my calculations, is 54 days from now. This is a good thing. I originally set the date for 2 days after the Surf City marathon and the 2nd annual MGM Reunion. There was a problem with that start date. My youngest daughter Jasmine, is graduating from High School on June 16th and our original schedule put us arriving in New York about a week later. I figured I could make up some time and do extra miles. If I not, I would fly back for a couple of days to see her graduate. Dumb idea and way too stressful. So, the decision was made a few days ago to move the start date up a month. What a relief! It has already proved to be a better start date and to be perfectly honest, I would go now if I could. So Jan 9th it is! And I get to see this one Graduate!

My training has been going well. This week I start doing 2 runs a day to see how I'll hold up on the road. I am very excited! My Coach is watching me closely to make sure I'm not overtraining and most of all eating enough.

We have finished episode 4!

Now, with the Long Beach Marathon out of the way, I am looking forward to focusing more on the run. The next episode is going to be about Chris and why he is going on this Whacky adventure. Speaking of Whacky..... Well, I'll wait to talk about that until I know more.... We'll also be shedding some more light on the inspiration for the run, how the Libertarian message plays a part and of course, the Craft Beer connection! Very exciting stuff.

Paul

Sponsors, charities and endorsements

We are 105 days away from starting the run. It is getting very real and very exciting! I have finished the route and already know there will be some minor changes, such as planned rest days and some detours here and there to hit the local Brewpubs. But it is a good starting point.

As the day approaches, one question grows louder. How are we gonna pay for it? I wrote the paragraphs below to help answer that question. It is going on our website, on our "Sponsor" page. Oh and if anyone knows of someone who needs an RV transported from CA to NY and doesn't mind it taking 4 months, let us know. Another win/win :)

A friend of mine recently offered to donate $100 to the run. It was an odd moment. I was extremely grateful that he would believe in what we are doing enough to give us money to help us accomplish it. But, it brought up some interesting thoughts, regarding charities, sponsors and endorsements.

Let me start by saying, this is in no way a judgement on anyone else, or in any way questioning anyone else's motives. There are many people who do things for charity, as I have in the past, and I am sure that their reasons and motives are genuine. I am now speaking only about myself and our upcoming journey.

I have very specific reasons for wanting to run across the country. They are, by and large, a matter of self preservation. Which, stated another way, could be called selfish. I do hope that through what we are doing, many positive things come out of it and it helps and inspires other people. That part is not selfish, but to try and find a charity to somehow make it seem selfless, would be disingenuous. It would be much easier to sell to people and would probably look better in local newspapers, but it would not be true.

We could put a PayPal link on our website and take donations... for... US. But that would be the antithesis of what we believe in. Working for what you have in life. I certainly don't want to be a charity. It could be argued that spreading the message of personal liberty and less Government is a valuable message and very important to a lot of people, therefore a lot of people would be willing to donate to something that they themselves may not have the time to do. But, again, something just doesn't feel right about asking for money. So, no PayPal link.

So, how do we work our way across the country? Chris and I are in production. We are shooting this for a Documentary and we are posting webisodes as we go. Naturally, there is a good opportunity for companies to sponsor the run in exchange for exposure. Ahh! The old win/win. A mutually agreed to contract, the way it is supposed to be. I believe that we can fund our journey through sponsors. But, with sponsors brings potential pitfalls. Do we have to temper what we say? That doesn't sound good. I can understand a large corporation not wanting to be affiliated with certain things that don't align with their customers views or beliefs, but does a sponsor have to agree with everything I say? Chris and I, as much as we are like minded, do not agree on everything. In fact, we have gotten into a healthy debate or two about a certain subject, but that doesn't stop us from working quite nicely together. Sadly in our current society, it seems the threat of boycotts and the ever present state of "political correctness" has served to strip everyone of their voice, in fear of offending someone. Besides, if a company that makes a Hydration Pack sponsors me, it should be because I use their product and it helped me get across the country, not because of who I voted for in the last election.

We need sponsors so I can run. I am not running to get sponsors. I have been using certain gear since I have been running and unless I legitimately feel like switching to something else I will continue to use them. That is not saying that other products aren't great, I just believe in being honest. I will list the products we use and I would love it if some of them decide to sponsor us. But even if they don't, I am endorsing them. I think that is the way it should be.

Oh, and my friends $100... I told him to keep it. But, if he absolutely insists... well, I can't be rude :)

Paul

The agony of da feet

Oy! Sorry I just couldn't resist, for it is my FEET that I will blame for Sundays disappointment. Let's just get it out of the way-

4:24:07

That's close to 17 minutes SLOWER than lasts years race... I am supposed to be getting faster not slower.

Here are my splits, just to drive the point home.

mile 1 8:59

mile 2 9:10

mile 3 9:12

mile 4 8:52

mile 5 9:04

mile 6 8:54

mile 7 8:32

mile 8 8:50

mile 9 8:50

mile 10 9:00

mile 11 8:56

mile 12 9:06

mile 13 9:14

mile 14 9:24

mile 15 9:25

mile 16 10:06

mile 17 9:46

mile 18 11:14

mile 19 10:43

mile 20 10:45

mile 21 11:21

mile 22 11:46

mile 23 12:29

mile 24 12:22

mile 25 12:10

mile 26 11:32

last .2 10:36

I didn't even make it to mile 15 before I knew things were going south on me. But to be perfectly honest, looking back, I am surprised it went as well as it did. Because a week before the race, I could barely walk. My right foot was so jacked from doing 120 miles in three weeks in the Vibrams that I wasn't sure I could even run the marathon. 2 weeks before the race, every time my right foot hit the ground, it felt like someone was jamming a hot poker into it.

Yes, I overdid it... BIG TIME! But there was a reason. I usually buy new running shoes every 300-400 miles. I had been running in my present shoes about 600 miles (do I REALLY need to buy new shoes every 300 miles just because they SAY I do?). They were literally starting to fall apart and I was faced with a decision. Do I buy another pair of shoes so I can safely finish out my marathon training when I really want to buy the Vibram Five Fingers? Or do I go Gonzo and buy the Vibrams. Ignoring all the advice about safely transitioning to barefoot running and proving that 1. not only do I NOT need the overpriced shoe casts that the Nikes and Asics sell to us runners every 3 months or so, but 2. I also have an extremely high tolerance for pain and I can H.T.F.U. and suffer thru it.

I'm a DUMBASS!!

I ended up with the Vibrams AND a nice new pair of Asics Gel-Hyperspeed 3's

At least they are racing flats and very light. I did the last 2 weeks of training in them but unfortunately the damage was done. Starting barefoot running is a lot like starting running period. When you start running your body has to adjust. During this period of time, if you go too fast, you run the risk of injuring yourself (achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis). Even if you don't injure yourself, there is a period of adjustment where you feel little pains, like shin splints. You need to start slow, to give your body enough time to adapt to the new stresses you are putting on it. I have given this advice to many new runners. Well since running barefoot changes your running form so much (a good thing) then it stands to reason that a different set of muscles are used as well. It ALSO stands to reason that the same precautions should be observed if you go from running close to 5,000 miles one way and then switch everything up overnight. Duh! Enough said.

My Asics sure were purty at the race!

If I had to put my money on what went wrong, I would say that it was because I spent the last 5 weeks doing less than quality training. And if one things for sure, you cannot "wish" yourself a marathon PR. Yes, running and races are a large part "mental" but you cannot fake a marathon. The training has got to be there if you wanna improve your time. It wasn't, so I didn't. Well, it was 5 minutes faster than the LA Marathon in May. So I guess I can be happy about that.

So, Long Beach is behind me and I now have ONE focus. "The Run for Liberty". Yes I will be doing the run in the Vibrams and yes, I will pull my head out of my ass and transition wisely this time. Thankfully, I will have help with that. I have hired a coach to help me prepare for the run. I am really excited about it. He comes highly recommended and he is going to help me with my training and nutrition. I am sure I will be posting a lot about that in the next four months.

118 days!

Time flys!

Paul

Episode 3 Barefoot running

Everything is moving along nicely with the show! I am glad to have the new episode finished and posted. It has taken some patience knowing that we had to devote some time on back story for any of this to make sense. There is still a lot of ground to cover, but it is starting to come together. Here is Episode 3.



It is amazing how the run is taking on a life of it's own. Chris, me and my old friend Mike Cernak from grade school have been hanging out a lot. One of our favorite things to do is go Beer tasting on Friday nights. We LOVE Craft Beer! It's a whole movement that we are very interested in for several reasons. One of which, is the care and individuality that local brewers put into their creations. What better way to get a sense of the different communities that we will be traveling through. Brittany and I went to The Stone Brewing Co. on Sunday and toured the facility. It was amazing and they make great beer! There is a local place in Huntington Beach called BrewBakers, where they actually teach you how, and let you, brew your own beer. what better place to start, than in our own back yard. I am VERY excited to start incorporating this part of the run into the show.

With 4 days left until the Long Beach Marathon, I am going a little crazy with the reduced mileage (taper). It's going to be a busy weekend with our prerace dinner/tweetup on Saturday, then the race on Sunday. After the race we are going to meet up again at Rock Bottom for some microbrew Long Beach style. Hmmm... I am sensing a theme! But of course the main focus for me right now is a sub-4 on Sunday! So, with plenty of rest, some fast healing for my battered feet and some nice cool weather, I am hoping to see a 3:xx:xx on the clock.

Paul