Bleeding for my sport

( Love his attitude towards the sport )

Where to start? Sorry for the long break between blog post. Things have been super crazy around home and the store. You can tell spring has hit and track season is underway. Crazy amount of people rolling in everyday, but hey that is why I love my job. The day in day out interaction with runners of all ages is what make my day.

I guess I should start with a little re-cap of the Sylamore 50k race some 4 weeks ago. Hmm well the trip was a perfect way to spend 3 days with my buddies Paul and Adam. Nothing like rolling along the highway in the TCRC RV listening to great tunes and talking, talking and more talking.

After the 12 hour drive we got all settled in at the Sylamore creek campground across the street from the start/finish area we got some grub and settled down for the night. Nothing big to report.

We awoke in the morning to a perfect day for a 31 mile trail run. It was like 38 degrees outside with some cloud cover. As we lined up at the start I saw my friend Mike Rush the owner of Rush running in Arkansas who I met a few years ago in France on a Salomon trip, it was so good to see him. I also saw Nick Lewis who I met a few years ago out at Leadville 100. He was second that year and was my pre-race favorite to win this race.

I was so happy to be back here in Arkansas and it was great to be back at this race after such a long time between visits. I knew I would not be as fast as the last time I ran here, that was ok with me. Being back here reminded me of coming to this race the first time with my then girlfriend Sonya before we where married. Good thoughts pre-race.

The race director said go and we took off and within like 5 mins Adam was gone and Paul and I wondered if we would see him later? At mile 1 we hit the creek crossing which always opens up the eyes with it's cold water that is almost waist deep. If you where not awake you are after the creek! Paul and I made our way down the trail together during the opening 10 miles or so. I was feeling super good and strong. I was seeming to pull away from Paul on the climbs but I knew Paul would always be right back with me. After the second aid station at like 11 miles or so I started to pull away from Paul and made my way to the turn around at 15.5 miles. I saw Adam coming back on the trail at 14 miles or so. He looked strong and when I reached the turn and saw that he had like 20 min's or so on me and that most likely the next time I saw him would be with a beer in hand at the finish line. Things can happen as I well know but I thought that was a safe bet.

On the way back to the finish after the turn I tried to be strong and pick off a few people along the way. While I did get some folks I also felt like I could not push as much as I liked on the rocky area's. That was going to be my downfall. Unlike me Paul is great on that type of ground and with like 2.5 or 3 miles to go he was right with me and pulled past with like 1.5 miles to go. My first thought was when I got back to the creek I could hammer and catch back up. When I hit the creek and did lower the hammer but I was to far back and finished 1 min behind him. My last mile was 6:30.

While I was slower than I hope, it was a good day. A good day with friends on a great trail! Still much work to do before the Black Hills 100 mile at the end of June. I will be there and ready to go. This was just one step in the process of getting there as I love this sport and will always bleed for it as long as I have a heart beat in my chest. Happy trails!

The Finish Line (Please Read)

We all know what it is like to push like never before for that finish line. But do you ever think about what is the finish line, and how do we get there? Or why do we want to get there? In my opinion the reason we seek the finish line is because it something we just have programed in us as humans. Now for each of us the"Finish Line" is something different but I feel this video does a great job of showing to me what it is all about. Enjoy!!

The Finish Line from Evolve Digital Cinema / IMG on Vimeo.

TC Running Trail Team page

As if I do not have enough stuff to do I started a new TCRC trail team blog page. So check it out.... I will be doing intro's with each runner on the team over the next few weeks as well as with any luck doing fun trail video's and who knows what else. Here is the link.

Mr. Decker you are late

Why yes I guess I am late. That is late in putting a currant blog post up. I am sorry I guess the time has gotten away from me. So what has been going one with me, Hmm? Well for one thing I have been enjoying the craziest non snowy winter that I can remember in my 40 years on this planet.

In some ways it has been so great to get out the door on most days and have no care in the world about looking for ice and such and getting on some real dirt trails for workouts in early January. On the flip side in a weird way it has made getting into a grove a little harder for me. In a way running those long slow miles in the snow each winter helps set a tone. I guess it is a give and take. That being said I am looking forward to my Sunday long trail run this weekend. I bet it will even be muddy go figure.

Not much to report on the training front. I have been overall getting in some OK weeks as well as trying to keep the pace up a few times per week. I had a super solid weekend last weekend with a fun run Saturday with my little brother Kraig. Man it had been to long since we had run. Then Sunday I had a super trail run with Paul and Mike and Jason out at Lebanon Hills. We had about a inch or two of snow on the trail with super temps and a nice bit of sunshine. With Sylamore 50k just 2 weeks away from this Saturday I have been trying to get in some more hills as this has been lacking post North Face 50 mile. It might be a light to late overall for that race but I need to remind myself that this 50k has never been about pushing all out, but more to break up the winter and keep the drive towards Black hills 100 miler in late June going. All in all I feel OK about where I am. This weekends long run will tell me allot I think.

Oh yea last weekend I also had the pleasure of watching my wife Sonya run a great 1/2 marathon at the St Paul Winter Carnival. Heck she was 2nd overall even! Well until next time take care and happy running to you all!

** Here is a little video about Hal Koerner from the North Face. Good luck to him this weekend at Rocky Raccoon 100 miler.

Olympic Marathon Trials Picks

I guess it is that time to make my final picks before I hit the hay and get ready for my very early long run. This is one of the hardest years that I can remember for me to come up with my picks. Well here you go and enjoy. Good luck to all running!!

Mens:

1.) Dathan Ritzenhein

2.) Ryan Hall

3.) Brett Gotcher

4.) Jason Lehmkuhle

5.) Matt Gabrielson ( call me a MN rube but I cant help it on the last two guys )

Womens:

1.) Desiree Davila

2.) Shalane Flanagan

3.) Katie McGregor

4.) Amy Hastings

5.) Kara Goucher

Hello New Year, What's Up?

Kind of crazy that it is the start of a new year. It seems like not that long ago I was getting in some great long runs and rocking the indoor track in EP to get out of a everyday in the snow. Well this year I am still running the dirt trails. Yes I said dirt trails, and yes it is Jan 5th in Minnesota.

I think I had one of the best closes and starts to a year for me in sometime. On new years eve I met up with Paul and a ton of the guys for a little run down by the Mpls lakes. Some guys where doing a 31 mile run. Paul and I did the 16 mile option as we hoped to run longer the next day on the trails. The run was great and we had lot's of good conversation about the year that was passing and what some of us where looking forward to in 2012. Plus you got to love a run where the turn around in at the Melo Glaze doughnut shop! After the run Paul and I got some coffee then met a few others over at Paul's house for a little Unbreakable movie showing. Little did Paul know that after the movie I was taking him to his surprise 50th birthday party. He had no idea and seemed to love it. Sonya and the kids met me at the party and we ran in the new year.

To roll in 2012 Sonya and I put together a little fun run out at Lebanon Hills on what was a little snow covered trail running. People went between 7.5 to 31 miles. I had a super 21+ mile run. I felt so strong over all but did not want to push it to much. As I sat around and waited for Sonya to finish up I thought about what I was going to do different in the new year. I guess the answer I came to was to keep putting one foot in front of the other and let that love of my sport grow in my heart day by day and mile by mile. Keep challenging yourself people as who know where you might find yourself.

So watch this kid climb. Crazy and free

Top 10 Music for 2011

It's time for the 2011 edition of my top 10 albums. Music has always been a big part of my life and every year I put together my top 10 list and share it with my friends. Last year I decided to do a top 10 songs of the year as I truly did not feel like there was 10 solid albums I got that year. I am happy to report that 2011 did not fall short. I feel like I have a solid list to share with you all. Here we go....

10.) Blitzen Trapper-American Goldwing

9.) The Decemberists-The King is Dead

8.) Blink 182- Neighborhoods

7.) Radiohead- The King of Limbs

6.) R.E.M.- Collapse Into Now

5.) Dawes- Nothing is Wrong

4.)The Black Keys- El Camino

3.) Coldplay- Mylo Xyloto

2.) Wilco- The Whole Love

1.) Ryan Adams- Ashes & Fire

I saw the comeback of Blink 182. More solid records from bands like The Decemberists, Coldplay, Blitzen Trapper, The Black Keys and Dawes. Radiohead? what can you say they always bring it for me. Wilco seems to get better every time I see them live. Sadly the end of a all time favorite in R.E.M. They went out on a super note. Then we have maybe the greatest songwriter of his generation Ryan Adams made a masterpiece. His show at the State Theater was a thing a beauty. Happy New Years people and talk to you soon in 2012!