NeilCraigan.Com

Never Say Never

In the process of transferring all my posts to this one site I came across something I wrote in September of 2006.

OK, I said I would never do it, but now I'm thinking about it. I even said that people who did it were crazy, I still do! Perhaps I could join the ranks of the crazy! I'm actually entertaining thoughts about running a marathon... Yes 26.2 miles of running, it's madness.

I'm not sure where these thougths are coming from, perhaps I'm delirious, maybe I need an hour or two with Dr Jeff to clear this madness from my system. Or then again, perhaps I should embrace these crazy thoughts and run one for a charity.

So here I am some four and a half years later, just 44 days away from running the 56 miles of Comrades marathon in South Africa. I have now run six marathons and Comrades will be my fifth ultra-marathon.

I did decide to run and to run for justice/charity,  I signed up for the 2007 National Marathon and called Michael Chitwood, head of the new Team World Vision as I wanted to raise funds for World Vision. Michael got me set up with a fundraising page and a first generation  Team World Vision shirt and now I'm headed to South Africa withTeam World Vision to run Comrades and find sponsors for 56 kids.

It all began the moment I took back my "never." Is there a "never" you need to take back to live a more fulfilled life?

Running - Why Winter Sucks!

Some people seem to think I'm obsessed with the weather this winter, some may think I have seasonal affect disorder, I don't and I'm not obsessed with the weather. I am very frustrated by the weather. Let me be clear the weather is terrible and I do not like winter, I have spent a third of my life in Minnesota and I don't expect that I'm going to grow to like ice, snow and cold. The whole four seasons thing is a myth, I have lived in the much more moderate climates of northern Virginia and Ireland and they have four distinct seasons as well.

So what's my beef with winter this year? Why has it frustrated me so much? The answer is simple, it has significantly inhibited me from doing something I love, running outdoors. This particular winter has seen more snow than average and long periods of below normal temperatures, which in Minnesota means its really cold. On days when the temperature has been OK the conditions on the roads have not, on the few occasions I have ventured outside to run I have taken my life into my own hands to help preserve my sanity.

I hate treadmill running... you see when I run I like to take in my surroundings, it fuels my passion, it keeps me moving forward, I look outside myself for encouragement to keep moving forward. The monotonous boredom of treadmill running is more than I can bear on a regular basis. Yet 38 of my last 45 runs have been on the dreaded treadmill and, as Popeye would say, "That's all I can stand and I can't stands no more." I can't bring myself to run more than four miles at a time on that machine

However I have to keep moving forward as I'm training for the 56 mile Comrades marathon in May. I am supposed to be six weeks into my training and have 225 miles accumulated but I've only managed to accumulate 162 miles so far. If I was just running this race for me that would be one thing, I'd probably quit training, but I'm not, I'm running with Team World Vision and seeking to find sponsors for 56 kids, one  for each mile I run. I'm running to make a difference in the life of a community of people in South Africa. 

I hope to have details on how you can sponsor one of the 56 kids I need to find sponsors for within the next couple of weeks.

So when I'm checking the latest forecast, when I'm lamenting the temperature, when I complain that once again they've lowered the temps in the ten day forecast, it's ultimately about something bigger than me. 

181 Days To Comrades - Treadmills are sinful!

After over a week of running on the treadmill it was a delight to find weather warm enough to head outside for an easy ten-miler with my wife, Jenny. 

I realized it was going to be a long winter (it always is in MN) and that I didn't have any desire to spend much time running outside this winter. Thankfully we have a treadmill at home, Sole F80, and that is a great blessing. We gave up our health club membership about 10 years ago and bought some equipment for the house, we have saved a great deal of time and money over the years.

The problem is I hate the treadmill. Now, I know, as a Rev., that I'm not supposed to hate anything other than sin, but let me state quite clearly that running and going nowhere should be a sin, and therefore something to be hated. God never intended us to run in one place, just read your bible and you'll see that Jesus call over and over again is to follow him, and you can't follow anyone on a treadmill!

So how do you make treadmill running not a sin? Answer: You buy a TV so you can watch educational, uplifting material while you run. I hear you say that surely this is sinful, spending money on a TV so you can run nowhere while there is great need and poverty in the world.

Not so, the TV is an investment in the war against extreme poverty! How so?

I'm training for Comrades, and will need to survive the MN winter, which will require treadmill running. I'll be travelling to South Africa with Team World Vision and I am committing to finding sponsors for at least 56 children in South Africa (I'll have details on the kids in January). My $300 TV is part of a commitment to raise between $75,000 and $125,000 for World Vision (based on sponsorship of $35 per month with the average sponsor supporting their child for 3-5 years).

See how easy it is to turn the sin of treadmill running into the purchase of a new TV for the sake of fighting poverty!

Happy Winter Running Everyone. 

Already Tired of the Cold Weather Running!

Winter arrived last Saturday as eight inches of wet snow fell on the ground. I didn't get out for a run but reluctantly climbed onto the treadmill and after three miserable miles I climbed off shaking my fist at old man winter.

Unlike last winter, our first back in Minnesota, when I considered it a challenge to run through the cold weather I have no such desire this year. After running outside yesterday in 34 degree weather with a windchill in the mid-20's and feeling cold I can honestly say I have had it with winter running. It's not even that cold yet by Minnesota standards.

This is going to be a long winter for me.

The problem is that I've signed up for Comrades in May and my training program is calling for long runs of 20, 23, 24, 25, 26 & 20 miles from mid-January through the end of February.  

The Joy of Running at Night

It was a beautiful evening, the sky was clear, the stars were shining bright in the night sky and the roads were quiet.

Dressed in my Brooks nightlife gear and headlamp on my head I headed out for a five mile run. After a quarter mile I left our neighborhood and was running along country roads. Everything looks and sounds different at night. 

Very quickly I found myself in a near hypnotic state as I was sucked into the bubble of the light in front of me, but just as quickly as I was sucked in I was shaken from my state of hypnosis as the light reflected in the eyes of a raccoon several yards away. I became acutely aware that out there in the dark were a myriad of animals just out of sight. As I ran by a field I paused as a dozen glowing green eyes stared back at me. 

Turning into the darkest part of my run I was shocked to see a large black mass near the edge of the road. It turned out to be several black garbage bags filled with leaves but in the dark of night I couldn't be sure from a distance.

It's runs like this that remind me how much fun running can be. I felt like a little kid on a great adventure, it doesn't get much better than this.

TWV Running Comrades

Perhaps you've heard of the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, with the first run being held in 1921 it is the longest running ultramarathon in the world. With some 15,000 runners it is also the largest ultra in the world.

This year a group from Team World Vision (I want to join the team next year) will be flying out to compete in this fabulous race. Each member of the team has a goal of finding sponsors for 150 children, they are running to save lives!

We are also hoping that the first member of Team World Vision to finish the race will also be the winner of race. Josh Cox (US 50k record holder) is currently training hard in the hopes of becoming only the second American winner of Comrades. Among those joining Josh will Michael Chitwood who leads Team World Vision, Bart Yasso (Runner's World) and Andy Baldwin (The Bachelor).

If you don't currently sponsor a child now might be (is) a good time to start!

Running Update

I've been busy training for the Trail Mix 50k coming up on April 17th. I'm looking forward to this ultra-marathon race of four 7.75 mile loops, running on the trails will be a pleasant change from the road and soft shoulder of the roads around our home.

My training's been going well finishing up March with 201 miles run, the highest monthly mileage I've ever recorded. I've managed to get two 20 mile runs in with 10 miles on the day after and have felt strong each time. I finished up March with a great 9 mile run at a 7:36 pace around Bald Eagle Lake. The sun wasPublish shining and it was a comfortable 75 degrees out. The ice is out of the lake so I think it means spring has officially arrived.

I was especially delighted when a woman riding her bike told me I looked fast as she passed me in the opposite direction for the second time. I guess looks can be deceiving but it was a nice compliment.

Today we are about 25 degrees above normal, I pray we don't see average temperatures again any time soon, gotta love this weather for running.

13.1 Minneapolis and Team World Vision

Yesterday I attended a fabulous breakfast with Team World Vision. World Vision will be the primary charity at the 13.1 series of races this year and that includes the Minneapolis race on August 22. All the funds raised by runners will go to digging wells in Kenya to provide life saving clean water to villages.

Jenny and I are planning to lead a team for this race as we both believe in the work that World Vision is doing and have a passion for the poor of the world. If you are in the Twin Cities area and would like to run with us go to the Team World Vision website and follow the three steps to sign up.

Yeah, I know for some of you 13.1 isn't far so lets do it together, have fun and support a great cause while doing so.

Running in Shorts Again!

The last time I ran outside in a pair of shorts was Thanksgiving morning, it was a cold morning but since I was racing a 5k I opted for shorts instead of tights. Since then it has been tights all winter, that is until two days ago when the temperature here in MN hit a balmy 35 degrees and I was once again wearing shorts!

I don't like wearing tights but they do keep me warm in the winter. They feel restrictive as they cling to my body accentuating how truly skinny my legs are! Give me my shorts back.

I had grown tired of winter. Bundling up to run in temperatures hovering in the low teens with the windchill below zero gets old very quickly. Let's be honest, it's no fun when your face goes numb, your fingers start to hurt and even though you're wearing a hat your ears still feel like ice cubes! Many resort to the treadmill during the cold winter months and I have to confess that I ran on the treadmill more this winter than I have ever done, but due to my high hatred of the treadmill, I'm a runner, I like to go places when I run, I persisted in running outside as much as I could bring myself to.

But winter will soon be over (hopefully by mid-March!) and running will once again be a pleasure. I can hardly wait for some warm, even hot summer days to run around Bald Eagle lake with sweat running from every pour in my body reminding me that I am doing something that is good for me and is thoroughly enjoyable!

Why I Love To Run

I slipped out the door around 7:30. It was cold and dark as I headed out onto the country roads near our home. Wearing a Brooks Nightlife jacket and donning a Black Diamond headlamp I lit up the road with my presence rather than my speed.

As the light of the headlamp lit my path it was hypnotic with every step I thought I might catch up to the light in front of me but never did. It was still, it was quiet and I felt very much at peace with the world. I felt like I could run forever but I was only going four miles. It was a simple out and back, I've run it dozens of times but tonight I had to stop and check my bearings, such was the hypnotic impact of the run.

On the final stretch I was focused on the way my breath drifted across the beam of light and disappeared into the dark. It was a thing of beauty a great momentary piece of art that can never be reproduced.

This is why I love to run... although I'm looking forward to spring!

Running Year in Review...

I just finished my last run of the year, it was a balmy 10 degrees out with a -5 windchill, as I arrived back at our house after six miles just as the sun was dropping below the horizon for the last time in 2009.

Over the course of the year I put in 1,450 miles of running and completed six organized races.

I never thought that this might be the year of the 5k but I set a PR in June and then took 2nd place in my age group at the local Thanksgiving Day run. My one marathon of the year, Twin Cities, was a little disappointing but I wasn't that surprised as I spent a few days in Virginia the week before and stayed up later than I should have but I couldn't pass up on the U2 concert.

My favorite running moment of the year was once again the track workouts at Gainesville Middle School with the folks from The Running Store. They will be sorely missed as we have now moved to Minnesota.

After eight months in MN I'm still trying to find a good trail (with 10-20 miles of trail) to run on that's close to home. The Manassas Battlefield was so convenient, I drove past it every day to and from work.

2010 will hopefully be a great year with at least one marathon and a couple of ultra's thrown in for good measure!

Prefered Temperatures for Running

As I was running in 20 degree weather today I found myself daydreaming of summer track workouts with Ian Connor and the The Running Store folks. Running intervals in 90 degree temperatures sounds like the greatest thing in the world right now,  and to think that Minnesota normally sees only a handful of 90 degree days in the summer.

So here's my list from best to worst of temps to run in...

1. 40-65
2. 65-80
3. 32-40
4. 80+
5. 20-32
6. below 20

You may disagree and that's fine, but when you haven't had cold temps like this for five years they most certainly hit the bottom of the barrel.

From 50 miles to 5k

Tomorrow is the JFK 50. I wish I was there. I have never had as much fun running a race as I had last year in this one.

So with no 50 mile races on my calendar I think I'll have to settle with a 5k or two over the next couple of months. Oh well, perhaps I can finish is under 20 minutes instead of 10 hours!!!

First Cold Run of the Season

Last night we had the first snow of the season! Today the temperature reached a balmy 35 and there was a 15mph wind blowing from the west creating a wind chill of 25. Brrr, this was serious winter running in Virginia but only the tip of the iceberg for Minnesota (pun intended).

I thought about taking the day off, heck I ran a marathon a week ago. Then I realized that if I start making excuses today I'll be making them all winter. So I donned my tights and jacket, hat and gloves and went for a 5 mile run.

It was amazing! Having spent the last few months training for the marathon I was now free to run how I wanted to. I'm not bound to a training schedule and it felt fabulous to be outside running free. I'm really looking forward to the next few months of running before the build up for my next marathon, but for now I'm running free!

Running Again

It's been five days now since the marathon and the soreness has left the muscles, that means its time to start running again!

Four easy miles on the road. It's so nice to be able to get out and run without being in training for any particular event, just running for running's sake. It was a perfect day to start back, temperatures in the upper 40's, sun shining brightly and a light breeze. I have no idea what my pace was today as I plodded along on the first of my recovery runs, I just focused on keeping a comfortable pace all the way.

It won't be long now before I have to do some winter running. That'll be new to be me as I haven't had a "real" winter in five years.

Taper Week

Only six days left until the Twin Cities Marathon and I've come down with a cold, ugh! The good news is the hard work is done, its rest and taper time. I should shake this cold in a couple of days and be 100% before Sunday.

My training has gone fairly well. With two of us training and working and then having kids schedules to juggle on top of that it would be nearly impossible to have a perfect training build-up to the race. I managed to fit in all my long runs and have had a few good tempo runs at marathon pace or faster. I've missed out on speed work but for the marathon it shouldn't hurt me too much.

The plan for Sunday will be to start out with the 3:20 pace team and see if I can hang on! I need 3:20 to qualify for Boston, the holy grail of marathoning. It's probably a long shot for me but you never know, if everything goes right on the day then it just might happen.

Let's go have fun over 26.2

Perspective - Running the Sahara

Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin set out to run across the Sahara. Their journey is documented in the movie, Running the Sahara. It is a quest that would take them 111 days. They would run through six nations, starting in Senegal then on through Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt. The total distance they covered around 4,300 miles. They struggled through extremely hot days and bitterly cold nights. They all struggled through injury, extreme fatigue and dehydration in to make it to the Red Sea.

As they were making their way across Niger the word came that they may not be able to get into Libya and this began to eat away at Kevin who thought about quitting and going home. At this point in the documentary Charlie talks with Kevin and tell him that if he doesn't want to do something exciting then he should just go and run a marathon! 

For most people running a marathon is the ultimate challenge, a few of us take it further, Iron Man triathlons, ultrarunning etc. Once you move beyond the marathon and look back you know the distance is no longer an issue and you have new perspective on it.

If as followers of Jesus Christ we could only learn to gain a better sense of perspective, if we could only learn to see things more clearly from God's perspective I think we'd be a lot better off. How do we do that? Simply by learning to more fully abide in Christ (John 15). Sure it takes time, energy and commitment to do this, but then most things that are worthwhile do.

This is not only a film about an adventure that three men take it also serves to raise awareness for clean water projects in Africa, supporting the work of H2O Africa.

Manitou 15k

It was a cool 45 degrees at race time as we lined up for one lap around White Bear Lake. My goal was to run it as a tempo run somewhere between 7:30 - 7:40 pace. I figured if I put in a lot of runs at this pace I'll be in a good position to qualify for Boston this fall.

We started running and I wasn't sure of my pace but I knew it was a little faster than I'd expected to start but I felt good. When I passed the first mile marker in 6:34 though I knew I was in trouble. I've never sustained this pace for a 5k let alone a 15k! So I slowed down a lot hoping I hadn't done to much damage and pressed on. At 5k my pace was now averaging a little under 7:00 so I was giving time back just as I should. I still ended up running faster than I intended finishing in 1:07:40 with a 7:16 average.

It felt good knowing I was able to run this pace this early in my training. I'm feeling very hopeful for a sub 3:20 marathon in the Twin Cities this fall!

For the love of running

On Monday I ran my first ten mile run since the "Icy 8" back in February! It felt fabulous on a sunny afternoon to plod along at an 8:20 pace in seventy degree weather enjoy the great outdoors. I'm finally motivated again to start running long... Marine Corps, JFK 50 and the Icy 8 took there toll on my desire to go long for a while!

I topped off Monday's run with a quick four on Tuesday with a 7:07 pace and a 6:31 third mile. It was my first run by White Bear Lake!

I love running!

Lessons From Long Distance (ultra) Running #5 Easy on the Downhills

More often than not we find it easier to run downhill than up. Gravity is at work and we can take longer strides, it can be a great opportunity to make up for lost time so we press on hard.

The problem with running downhills hard is that your quadriceps take a terrible pounding and over the length of an ultra-marathon this can cause real problems. Downhills are definitely easier and more fun to run than uphills and we should learn to enjoy them for what they are... easier sections of the course rather than places to try and make up for lost time.

In life we will have uphill sections in which every step feels like a strain. We will have flat sections where everything is an even effort and we have downhills, times in which everything just seems that bit easier. When we are blessed with downhill running in life we should learn to enjoy them for the next climb might be just around the corner. Let's not wreck ourselves but pushing hard on the downhills leaving us with nothing to battle the next uphill and tired soar legs that will cause us to stumble on the next downhill as well.

Perhaps the lesson is to pace yourself for life and know that some sections will be easier than others.