And my legs are back. That didn't take long. 

I'm feeling pretty good despite major episodes of sleep deprivation. I'm trying to not stress too much about missing days right now. Considering the circumstances they'll most likely be a must. Not because I don't have time, but because I'm not sleeping consistently. I've already picked up some illness, noticed a crazy bump of flesh protruding near my ear the other day. It ended up being a lymph node. Sure enough a day later the scratchy throat arrives! I need to stay healthy.

It's been fun toying with training deprived of sleep and it's opened my eyes to the possibilities of training; ie running at 3am IS possible. Training around a crazy schedule also makes me realize even more how much free time there really is when you focus on what's important to you, disconnect the iPad and use the time productively. 

One of the hardest things it seems while being exhausted is staying calm and positive. The more I see this side effect of my family life right now it's a huge training opportunity. Realize that yes I feel like shit. I'm tired. Grumpy. Rarely am I this tired so focusing on staying in a positive frame of mind during these times of exhaustion is a win win for everyone. It's not easy, willpower is a fascinating phenomenon, but practicing can only build it up. 

In order to maximise my time last week at work I got out for 5 miles on my lunch break. I can't believe I hadn't taken advantage of this before!  Probably because I can normally bang out 17 miles before 7am and it was unecessary, but now I would feel confident tacking on another few at lunch. Great opportunity to run in a new area. I think this will become routine. Kind of a hassle bringing my running stuff to work but well worth it. Good opportunity for day time photos too! 

2015 race plans, training with kids!

I'm in the Grand Union Canal Race! 

Pretty excited about this one. Kind of the same feeling I had for Superior which is good. The best thing is that despite 145 miles it's pretty much flat so the terrain is in my favor unlike a mountain race. So it 

looks like this will be my "A" race. 

Training for now will be difficult. A lot going on in my family life with a new baby and all. I've been running consistently now for maybe ten days but scheduling has been tough. Night time runs, which I hate, have been a must. Just trying to work back into it and get my legs going for now. I'm planning on MAFF for 4-6 weeks and see where I'm at. Then "officially" start training and looking at increasing mileage, still at MAFF pace, and adding in two days of focused marathon training a week. In the build up to GUCR I'd like to race a couple marathons going for a PR. I think fast marathon training with a some races, higher mileage, and also a 50 miler (maybe Malvern Hills Ultra) leading up to GUCR should set me up pretty good despite the 145 mile distance. 

This all sounds good as long as I can find the time, stay injury free, and stay motivated! 

I'm signed up with GUCR as an "unsupported" runner (no crew), thus the race organiser supplying me with food and also shuttling drop bags throughout the race. However it sounds like a possibility that a few family members who helped crew at Superior may try to fly over to help! That's pretty sweet as not only would it be great to see them but make the race that much more fun! I think having family and friends at Superior made it way more fun. The other races I've done it's just been me, and yeah they were fun, but it just wasn't the same. 

I said scheduling has been tough. Watching two kids, one a baby, and trying to keep the house in order is crazy busy. I have no consistent period of time off. The iPad and Internet are on hold. I have no time to waste. I just need to sneak in my calisthenics more effectively to be sure I get them done. Hopefully the new addition starts sleeping through soon and I can get my mornings back. That and nights are usually a sure thing. 

Not sure where I'm at on this thing, usually all over the place, but it's off season for me! 

Lots has happened recently. Skipped Cotswold Century as my wife was way too pregnant to justify it, we had the baby, my parents were over to visit, and sleep deprivation has been top notch! So it's been super busy.

Previous to the time off I'd been enjoying running in the Brooks PureFlow 3 which was a new shoe for me. It just fit better than the Cadence 3 so I went with it. 

Am near to registering for the Grand Union Canal Race lottery, I'm really excited about this race, the demeanor of the race director is hilarious. Sure hope I get in. 

Anyway, starting to get the itch to train now after about a month off. Received some running toys from the kick ass crew at Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, CA as well. 

Getting back to any sense of normalcy and routine will take a bit I think. I had a kick ass routine going before the new baby arrived. I'm back at my calisthenics which has been a challenge to stick with. I'm exhausted by the time my 3 year old is in bed and she demands so much attention now with the baby around its hard to fit it in throughout the day. Before the baby arrived I had be meditating every day for 98 days straight. That milestone disappointingly was lost. Oh well, I'll just need to start over soon. I'd also been working on my JKD 5 nights a week for 30 minutes after my daughter went to sleep, this should be fairly easy to get back into. The hardest thing will be running. It's selfish, it takes time away from the house, but I'm ready to train again. Even if I'm stuck on the treadmill in the garage I'll be happy as it's a start. Feeding the baby the middle of the night has been taking its toll on me. I'm exhausted all the time, so getting out early like I normally do isn't really feasible as I need the sleep. I think this is the week to start though, it's go time.