40th Birthday 40 K

You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.
                                       C.S. Lewis


Lamar in back, Jake and Willy in front.
This Is The Place Race 5K, about 1984.

I won the first distance race I entered.  Or at least I won my age group in the "This Is The Place Race 5K" in about 1984.  I was around 9 years old and entered it with my Dad and my younger brother, and there are only a few things that I remember about the race:  I remember we threw on our short shorts and striped tube socks.  I remember my Dad running with my younger brother and telling me to run ahead, as fast as I wanted.  I remember hitting "THE WALL" (or what I thought was the wall, which for me as a 9 year old in a 5K is about mile 2.2) and crying... thinking I might be lost on a dirt section of the course in which I couldn't see any other runners ahead or behind me.  I remember pushing through that wall until I could see the finish line, when another kid my age caught me in the last 100 yards, but I outkicked him to win my age division by .5 seconds.

Terrace Days 5K, short shorts were definitely in.

I do remember how cool that medal was, how good the cookies we had after the race tasted, and how much fun I had with my Dad and brother.  It was the one and only photo finish of my racing career (I think I won a few distance races later, but nothing like that first 5K.)



On your marks...get set....

I turned 40 this year.  Turns out I'm growing old, whether I like it or not.  You are, too.  But running certainly makes me feel not-so-old, or at least it makes me feel somewhat capable athletically.  For my 40th Birthday, my wife arranged the perfect birthday party with friends and family, party favors, karaoke, a photo booth, etc. It was perfect.  But in order to somehow make myself feel not as old...I decided to hold my own race, with the finish line at my Birthday Party.  A 40th Birthday 40K! My wife was none too happy about that, telling me I'd be stinky and in too much pain and too tired to be any fun at the party.  But I figured it would be a good way to prove to myself in some insignificant way that I hadn't yet lost it, that my age was just a number, young at heart, blah blah blah, and it would be a fun novelty with which I could mark this milestone.



I asked my fellow Orange Trail Monkey Sam to come along... he's a good sport when it comes to this kind of thing:  Up for a silly challenge, keeps you entertained on the road/trail, runs faster than I do but is good about slowing down to my pace, self deprecating and blunt and obligatorily pokes fun when things get challenging or silly (which they always do).  His greatest talent is that he is incredibly adept at overemphasizing the word "DUDE" in 99% of all conversations.  Perfect running buddy!

Sunset Sam

More importantly, he's a good dude, who, okay, let's just say it, would let me win the race.  I could recapture some long forgotten glory from my younger years with a race victory!  Never mind the fact that it would be a 2-man race in which the faster runner would yield to me!  A win is a win!  Right?  Sure.

When it came down to it, Sam let me out-kick him to the finish line, just like my 9 year old self did back in the day. I broke through the finish line tape to cheers and claps and an incredible party in my honor with friends and family (And if anyone is in need of a good pick-me up or confidence builder, I highly recommend rigging a race with a party at the finish line for yourself!  You will smile about it forever!)

I don't think anyone at the party cared that I won! In fact, other than that first 9 year old race, I really don't think I've cared what place I've taken in most races. It doesn't really matter. It may be different if I was competing for real, or if I had the discipline to train and compete in that way. What it comes down to is pretty simple. I love to run.  I love the mountains and trails and roads I get to run on.  I love to challenge myself, the little accomplishments that happen when you just show up.  I adore the people I get to meet and run with, and seeing the amazing things they do only inspires me to work towards different goals and milestones, to climb the mountains in my path (both figuratively and literally).

Do I hope to win another race someday?  Sure.  But in the end, I'm really just racing myself.



40th Birthday 40K.  See you at 50.

Foreign Trail Monkey - 2014 Running Year In Review

Oh the places you'll go!
by jake


February 2014 - Edmonton, Canada
Frozen Trail Monkey running in the Great White North

I was feeling a little left out of the 2014 OTM year in review, even a little envious of all the people, places, miles and milestones of the last 365.  To be honest, however, it was not for their lack of inviting me out.  I could easily blame missing running with the trail monkeys on a number of things this year...too much travel, too much work, not enough time, other responsibilities (coaching, church, xbox...whatever!), too cold, too hot, too early, too late...whatever the reason, I checked all those boxes!  I think I only went running with any OTM two or three times in 2014.  A nice New Year's flu even kept me out of the early morning New Year's Day run in 2015...so it's not the most promising start.

March 2014 - Jade Mountain, Taiwan
Having a moment of relief alone from the top of Jade.
"Covertly" circumvented the ranger station to get to
the top of this fairly restricted mountain range. 
The ranger was in the shower while we quietly
tiptoed through the check point. 

May 2014 - Tokyo Sunrise
Ran around Tokyo before the city had
come to life.  Beware of traffic that drives on the left
side of the street!

May 2014 - Tokyo - Imperial Palace
More from the early morning

But I still did my fair share of running in 2014!  And in some pretty unbelievable locations and destinations! Full Disclosure: I'm not nearly as dedicated to the Ultra-Distances and Peak-bagging extremes as the other OTM.  I do love to challenge myself on the trail and the road, love the views from such great heights, appreciate our close proximity to the unmatched terrain and scenery of the Rockies, and the sense of accomplishment when you do reach a summit for the first time is truly an emotional high.  No matter what your running goals, your speed, your ability, age, or where you are.  Just get out and run!  You'll feel better, you'll be happier, you'll make good friends.  There's always the next year, the next race, the next training run, the next step to look forward to... 

April/July/September 2014 - Portland, Maine
Running in the land of lobsters, L.L. Bean,
and Stephen King.
SLC Winters are cold enough for me!





August 2014 - Land's End, Los Cabos, Mexico
While the OTM ran the Quest for King's Marathon, I was
in Mexico, Running in the sand and surf!

October 2014 - Grand Tetons, Wyoming
Family Trip! 

November 2014 - Mount Namsan, Seoul, Korea
Even the leaves are raked into decorative piles
at this Urban "mountain" in the middle of Seoul!







November 2014 - Seoul Olympic Stadium
Flo-Jo, Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner Kersey, juiced-up Ben Johnson, and now me. Early Saturday morning I snuck into the Seoul Olympic stadium and had a rainy solo run on the '88 Olympic track. I think my 100M times were about double theirs, but it was awesome to run around in an Olympic stadium all by my selfie, well before sunrise. To boldly go where no OTM has gone before...



Here's to celebrating the year in running in 2014 and looking forward more similar adventures in 2015! I hope to see you on the road or the trails, wherever you may be!  Even you, Sam.