High School Cross Country

As I was thinking about what to write today I thought about the Summer. I thought about all the Seniors in High School that graduated this year. Then I thought about all the kids getting ready for their first season of High School Cross Country. I thought back to my Summers preparing for Cross Country season and they were wonderful--Defining Summers of my life. I thought, What would I do differently if I could go back? Here's what rushed into my mind:

1. More running on grass and barefoot running. I had a lot of injuries in high school. Lots of tendinitis. I'm not saying all of my injuries would have disappeared, but what I am saying is that I think they would have been reduced significantly. Running on grass can be troublesome. If you're wearing shoes there's a concern for rolling your ankle. One of the reasons for that is because you're higher up. Get down lower and you begin to solve that problem. That's where running barefoot comes in handy. (Go to my Barefoot Running page to learn more about barefoot running.) Yes, you can step on things. Yes, it's not the safest thing. But neither is running on the street. I think the benefits heavily outwiegh the limitations/cautions. I run primarily in my Vibram Five Fingers. You can run in sandals, or something that get's you close to the ground. I definitely would have experimented more with this in high school.
2. More miles. I had some pretty high goals in high school, but I didn't achieve them. I think part of that was because I lacked the knowledge I have now. I would have run more miles. Longer warm0ups and longer cool-downs. In an upcoming post I will address why great runners of almost all distances need to put in a lot of miles, and it's not as simple as increasing aerobic capacity, maximum oxygen uptake or VO2 max. Stay tuned!
   
3. More 2-a-days. What I'm doing now is, in my opinion, the best thing. I get up at 6:00 or 6:30 and I read the scriptures for 30 minutes. I try to drink as much water as I comfortably can while I'm reading and then I do a 20-40 min run. Then at 10:00 a.m. I do my second and primary/main workout. Before noon on most days I have done anywhere from 8-17 miles. Check out my Training page to see what I do and for more ideas.
   
4. Better nutrition. I would have eaten less sugar and more vegetables. There are so many important vitamins and minerals in vegetables that our bodies need. I felt like eating sugar took the place of other things. Have you ever eaten so much that you're no longer thirsty? Maybe you were thirsty before, but now that you've stuffed yourself you are no longer thirsty. I think that happened with my efforts to eat healthy--they were thwarted by my addiction to sugar and unhealthy food.
   
5. More stretching. I would have taken 10-30 minutes after each run, specifically and especially after the hard workouts to stretch at least the main muscle groups.
   
6. Better planning for better rest. I think I would have tried harder to do certain things earlier in the day so that I wasn't staying up at night trying to finish them and then going to bed late. I think the optimal time for running is in the morning so that requires getting up early and THAT requires going to bed relatively early (and/or a nice nap during the day:)
   
7. Pool running when injured. When I started feeling hurt or pain I would have gone to the pool and done pool running. (This post is giving me a TON of good ideas for future posts like when I got back from my two-year mission in Argentina and I got sesamoiditis and how to stay in shape I pool ran...cool!) Also I would have taken more advantage of both a regular and exercise bike.
8. Swim team during the Winter. That's what I did my Sophomore year and it was great, then I went full-time, year-round running and I had more injuries--imagine that.
   
9. Less ignorance, more knowledge. I would have read more books on running, learning as much as I could about EVERYTHING about it. Knowledge is empowering especially about something you love to do or want to do really well at. My Bio-mechanics professor won the St. George marathon in 2009, Iain Hunter, and knowledge has definitely empowered him. (I ran into him running one day, not literally, but at a park in this is the advice Iain Hunter gave me.)
   
10. Racing often. I would have picked a race at least every month to see where I was at, if I was improving and what I needed to improve on. Racing for me is always a time of learning. It is a powerful tool for teaching I think.

I hope that was helpful to all, if not, sorry. Have a great day and run fearless! Yeah!

Believe it's possible

"You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." -Napoleon Hill

Principle #4 from Jack Canfield's book The Success Principles is Believe It's Possible. I love that quote at the beginning by Napoleon Hill. There are two conditions to achieving goals and dreams, 1. You have to conceive the goal/dream and 2. You have to believe it. Like I have done before I will highlight the chapter, apply it to myself and then apply it to everyone in general.

The world is filled with inspiring stories of people who have conceived a goal, believed it, let their lives pay the price to be able to achieve it and then have. Tug McGraw of the Philadelphia Phillies was one of those who was a pitcher in the World Series and had visualized and played out in his mind every day winning the World Series, and then it happened. Ruben Gonzalez took up the sport of luge at age 20, originally a soccer player from Argentina, and went on to compete in 4 Winter Olympics holding a record for the only athlete to compete in four different Olympic games in four separate decades.

For me, if I want to accomplish my goals and dreams then I have to believe it. Yeah, easier said than done. I REALLY, TRULY and DEEPLY have to believe that I can be one of the best runners in the world. I have to convince myself and my subconscious beliefs that it is possible and that I really can do. Every day I need to visualize myself winning races, being where I want to be and doing what I want to be doing. I must expect nothing less than that. I must replace negative thoughts, feelings and emotions with positive ones. In the upcoming principles we'll see more of how this is possible, but for now we gotta believe that what we want to achieve is possible.

Now, for you. You have desires deep down inside. You are the one who decides what you will or will not accomplish. "Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can." -Richard Bach. You have conceived a goal (or you are about to) now believe it. Don't listen to anyone! Don't listen to people who tell you that you can't. Don't listen to people that tell you that you need to scale your goal down because it's TOO lofty--chuck that out! And believe that you can. You can do it, you can do it, you can do it. I will end this post with the famous words from one of my best friends Brant, "Never look back!" Have a great weekend and run fearless.

(Returning and reporting yesterday's workouts: 1st, 27 min run easy; 2nd, 55 min run easy AND today's workouts: 1st, 30 min run easy; 2nd, 20 min warm-up, mile time-trial by myself at the Provo H.S. track 5:03, 20 min cool-down) Great week. God is great, merciful, kind and loving.

How do I get motivated about running?

This is a question I got from another friend and she says the following: "I do enjoy running, but lately I have found quite a bit of lack of motivation to run lately. Any advice? I use to run in cross country in high school and I loved every minute of it but now I'm having a hard time keeping the motivation to run without my friends around. :("

This will be similar to the post two days ago Breaking through the running wall, so check that out because there's a lot of carry over. Also check out the comments in that post, especially the one from my friend in Sweden who gave an INCREDIBLE reply, check it out! What I mean by it being similar is that there's a lot of carry over, but this post will have some additional things that apply more towards motivation. Here are my ideas and once again if anybody out there has any additional ideas please feel free to share!

1. Make a goal and stick to it.
2. Post the goal all over the house, specifically in places you'll see it.
3. Sign up for a race. Knowing that a race is coming up, like a 5k, 10k etc. is motivating for me. I know that when I race I want to 1. Be at my best and 2. Be able to run the fastest I possibly can.
4. Get a cool running poster, or just buy an issue of Runner's World or Running Times and cut out a bunch of pages and make a motivational collage.
5. Ask people to run with you. Now is the time to get out of your comfort zone and look for people to run with. I guarantee you are not the only person lacking motivation and friends to be able to run--You just have to find those people. Facebook can be a waste of time, but it can also be used as a powerful tool to make your dreams come true and accomplish your goals.
6. Music is motivating (like I said in the previous post, 2 days ago). Put some of your favorite songs on your MP3/iPod and get going!
   
7. Just get out the door. For some people this works, for others it doesn't, but I think it's worth a shot. Just get out the door. Set out your clothes and shoes the night before, wake up, put them on as fast as possible and then just get out the door. I think those first few steps are some of the hardest, so just get out the door and start running.
8. Write down all the different workouts you can do on separate pieces of paper, then the morning of pick out a piece and do that workout. Surprise can be motivating and exciting.
9. Watch a good running movie. This site has great running movies.
10. Watch some running clips on YouTube or at CompleteRunning.com
11. My last piece of advice is to read this blog every single day!

There are many more things to be said, and more that needs to be discovered. For now this is good enough for me and I invite you, my friend, to Run Fearless!

(Returning and reporting yesterday's workout: 30 min. run; 58 min. Tempo run, 20 min. easy warm-up, 30 min. race pace. 8 min. cool-down)

Smashing frustration with a mountain

I just picture the word frustration, or the thing making me frustrated then I see myself picking up a mountain--yes, a whole mountain and just smashing the frustration. Squishing it. Pulverizing it. Crushing it. Breaking it into a million pieces. That's what I did yesterday.

I was feeling quite overwhelmed, tired, frustrated (like I said earlier) and down-right discouraged. I decided that I was going to change my workout a little and switch Wednesday with Thursday. Today I'm doing the Tempo run and yesterday I ran up the mountain.

Close to BYU is located a Y. A huge letter Y that's made of large rocks, cement and white paint. It's not the steepest thing you'll ever encounter, but it does the trick if you're looking for something really hard to run up. It had been a while since the last time I ran it and it just felt right. I thought, "There's nothing that can help me feel good. I don't know what's wrong, but I am mad!" So I started up and up and up. It was hot and the switchbacks seemed to go on without end. There were a few times I thought about stopping to rest, but I told myself to take smaller steps and just make it to the top of the next switchback. That's what I told myself each time.

When I arrived at the top I was so thirsty. There was a family up there and I asked if they had any water to spare. They did and I was extremely grateful. Then the mom gave me some Gushers which I was a little skeptical about because I'm all about healthy eating and anti-processed anything especially sugar, but I took them and ate them. It was wonderful.

All of that really helped to clear my mind. I was able to smash frustration with a mountain. We all get down, depressed, discouraged etc. and I am here to tell you that when that happens it is the start of self-defeating behavior. Stop it in its tracks! Find a mountain and smash it! Your mountain may be a musical instrument, it may be meditation or reading--It doesn't necessarily have to be intense. Sometimes we need to change plans and do something that will help calm us down and focus on what is most important. That is how I run fearless.

(Returning and reporting yesterday's workout: 30 minute a.m. run; 60 minute mountain run with cool-down)

Breaking through the running wall

This post is DEFINITELY one that I cannot handle all by myself. I am not a running pro nor do I claim to have all the answers, so we're gonna need everybody's help that can. I had a friend send me a question about running, and the paragraph below is that question. I will do my best to answer it and then ask all of you to comment so that this question gets answered. I am not so naive to think I have the perfect answer because everyone is different and you may have an answer that works better for my friend than what I have. That said I have my friend's permission to use her question, so here it is:

"Alright...I need your running wisdom Caleb! I've NEVER been a runner but am TRYING to be one! I've successfully gotten to the mile mark without stopping...something I didn't even do in high school once. But now what? My body is SCREAMING at me saying NO WAY, NO HOW AM I GOING TO RUN FURTHER THAN THAT!!! I'm training for a RAGNAR in October and am freaking out about the whole running 6 miles in a row thing. Suggestions? Advice? HELP?!"

To learn more about what RAGNAR means go to the RAGNAR about page. Couch to 5K is also a great resource. Okay, here goes, first let me restate that different things work or don't work for certain people and these are a few ideas that have come to mind as I've been letting the question process.

1. Run with someone. For me at least, it's easier to run faster and longer when I run with someone, especially someone I like being around. It in no way takes away the pain, but makes the pain bearable many times.
2. Run for time and not for distance. That's something I read in the book More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way. They are not so obsessed about mileage as they are getting as much as they can out of a 30 minute run for example. Start of with the time it takes you to run a mile, for example 10 minutes. Set a goal to run 10 minutes every day. When you hit 10 minutes see if you can go another minute or thirty seconds and when you hit that see if you can do it again. Pick out landmarks like fire hydrants, telephone polls, plants/trees and/or buildings and just get there. The following week set a new time goal, for example to run non-stop for 12, 13, 14 or even 15 minutes. Each week, and each day (if you feel ready) try to increase the time. Obviously if you feel really tired or you feel like something's wrong, back off and rest. (My post on Why is my heart racing when I'm not even running that hard? could help with that)
   
3. Mix in a day or two of cross-training. Get on your bike, in the pool, in your roller-blades (if you have some) and just enjoy doing something you love that also gets your muscles moving and heart pumping.
4. Have hard days, easy days and a complete-rest day. I try to do 3-4 hard workouts a week with two easy days and a complete rest day on Sunday. You may want to do 2 hard days, 4 easy and 1 complete rest. It's good to follow a hard day with an easy day.
5. Make a chart you can see your progress. Something that motivates me are charts. Make a graph to show the time (and/or mileage) that you have done/achieved and put a mark for how much you want to be running my a certain date then figure out what you need to be at each week. For example if you're at 10 minutes/day and you estimate that to run 6 miles non-stop by the first week of October you would need to be able to run non-stop for 60 minutes then this week you run ten minutes each day and then each week for 16 weeks you would need to increase your time by 3-4 minutes each week. Chances are if you're doing all that running you'll easily be able to do that.
6. Don't look at your watch. Try to run as long as you can without looking at your watch. You and I both know that as we spend more time looking at our watches the run seems longer, harder and many times down-right unbearable. So go for as long as you can without looking at your watch and if/when you have to look, look and then don't look for as long as you can afterward.
   
7. Set up a rewards program for yourself. It could be daily, weekly, monthly etc and you set the goal and you pick the reward. For example, I try not to eat a lot of sugar stuff (I'm addicted) so I have a goal that if I run every day for two weeks for at least 30 minutes then I get a candy bar of my choice.
   
8. Be accountable to someone. It could be a close friend, teammate, spouse, son/daughter etc. Let them know what your goal is and return and report to them. They could even be in charge of the reward
   
9. Get some music. I know for me I don't always like to run with an MP3/iPod, but music, at least for me, is motivating. If you want to get more intense you could figure out how long certain songs are, put them in a certain order and say, "After these songs I will be done with my workout for today." And then put an intense song at the end. Something that gets my mom pumped is the Mortal Kombat theme song.
10. My last idea is to run barefoot on a couple days out of the week. When I hit a running slump/frustration I started running barefoot at parks and it was very enjoyable. Along with all of the physiological benefits it is just refreshing, fun and cool.

Anyways, that's what I got and I WOULD LOVE anyone else to comment below to what they think could help my friend--or if you have a variation on one of my ideas, bring it! I would love that and so would my friend.

If you have any questions for me, running related or not, please do not hesitate to email me at runfearless@gmail.com or shoot me a message through Facebook. If you haven't been to the Run Fearless website on Facebook then I invite you, just type Run Fearless into the search on Facebook. Have a great day and run fearless.

(I am returning and reporting for my workout yesterday: 1st run= 24 minutes easy, 2nd run= 35 minutes easy. I'm feeling tired from yesterday's workout.)

Decide What You Want

Principle 3 of Jack Canfield's The Success Principles is called Decide What You Want. You will recall that the last principle we talked about was Be Clear Why You're Here. Once we figure out what our purpose in this life is, then we need to determine what we want to do, be and have.

Canfield proposes that the reason why we don't get what we want is that we haven't decided what we want--We haven't "defined our desires in compelling detail". That's so true, at least for me, I decide I want something, but it's usually a thought in my head. Many times it doesn't go down in a journal or on a 3x5 card underneath the bathroom mirror or something like that.

Don't live someone else's dreams. Stop settling for LESS than you want. These are things that I'm trying to do right now. I still don't have everything figured out, but this blog is a manifestation of me trying to fulfill my purpose and do what I TRULY want to do.

Ask anyone and they'll tell you the same thing--I love running. I have some of the most lofty goals when it comes to running--Be the best in the world--it doesn't get more lofty than that. I don't know why, but this goal came into me and refuses to leave. I've had a lot of goals throughout my life. Many have come and gone, but this goal about running has always stayed. I love watching running, I love reading books on the science behind it and the greats that have done amazing things like Haile Gebreselassie, Roger Bannister and Jim Ryun to name a few. Sometimes unhealthily it consumes my thoughts and I have to do things to get myself back on track.

A lot of people, and well-meaning at that, have told me either directly or indirectly that my goals are fun, but unrealistic and I need to pick something in case it doesn't pan out. Well the truth of it all is that I don't want to do anything else! I love running, and I know deep down inside that 1. There is a way to do what I love and make a living and 2. If I don't do what I feel is right deep down inside then I will live with the regret of what might have been. The other night I had this thought: I would rather attempt the impossible, fail horribly and look like a fool than live someone else's dream looking back with regret and shame of what might have been.

So what should we do? Make an "I want" list. Ask yourself or have someone ask you "What do you want?" Over and over until you have emptied your brain of everything you could possibly want. Make a list of 30 things you want to be, 30 things you want to do, and 30 things you want to have--And this is not a time to be humble (if that makes sense). Be true to yourself and write down EVERYTHING! Don't settle for anything less. I love the quote in Canfield's book by none other than Michelangelo himself: "The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." Reminds me of the quote by Tellman in my post on Run Tellman Run that "...I live by a guiding principle: If you don’t set yourself extremely ambitious goals, nothing great will ever be accomplished."

I challenge you to do this. Make a list of all the things you want to be, do and have. Figure out where you want to be in life, what your heart longs for you to do. What have you always wanted to do? The next post (probably on Friday, but no guarantees, but there's a good chance...) will be Principle 4 Believe It's Possible which will help with how you will be able to achieve your dreams and live the life you always envisioned.

Whoa! That was intense, now I gotta go run and live my dreams. Have a great day and run fearless!

(And I'm returning and reporting for yesterday: 34 min run in the morning and 1:40 run in the evening)

The plan this week, return and report.

I need your help. I came to the realization that if I want to achieve my dreams then I need to up the intensity and aim higher, so the following are my workouts for this week and in addition to my daily post I will return and report to you about how my workout went each day. There's a lot of power in the principle of returning and reporting to someone. There's an obligation you feel to fulfill your commitment and the chances you do what you have said go up. So that's what I'm going to do. That's the post for today, Run Fearless!

Day	Planned workout (every day start off with a 30 min easy run and then…)
Mon 31	Long run 1:30 to 1:40
Tue 1	Easy run 40-50 min.
Wed 2	Tempo run: 20 min easy, 30 min. very hard, race pace
Thur 3	Hills (about 60 min. total either a constant run up the mountain or the Temple loop on grass)
Fri 4	Easy 40-50 min.
Sat 5	Repeat miles or a time trial
Sun 6	REST

Run Tellman Run

In a post I wrote on Thursday called Be Clear Why You're Here I talked about purpose and figuring out what you were put on this earth to do. There is website called Run Tellman Run where this man, Tellman, is running across the United States--barefoot--to end youth homelessness.

This is kind of like Forrest Gump, the only difference is that this guy is doing it for a cause and that's what makes it awesome. That's what makes it worth it. That's what makes it possible. He's trying to raise $100,000,000 for homeless youth and I know he can do it. Something from his site reminded me of my goals, dreams and aspirations, this is what he says:

"Sounds crazy, right? I get that a lot. But I live by a guiding principle: If you don’t set yourself extremely ambitious goals, nothing great will ever be accomplished."

I invite you to Run Tellman Run who is definitely a perfect example of what it means to run, live and be fearless.

Sand Dunes and Idaho

I went on a run this morning and it was so cool! I wanted to tell all of you about it because I REALLY enjoyed it. My cousin is getting married today in Idaho Falls, Idaho. My parents came here to live about 9 months ago so that's where I'm staying. My dad showed me the sand dunes that are located close to their house and told me that he had enjoyed running there. He said if I was looking for a place to go that would be a good place.

My first thoughts were, Nah! I'll find somewhere better, but then this morning I left the house. There was wind, rain and cold. I just started running and I headed towards the sand dunes. I don't know if I've ever really seen sand dunes and they are big! I was thinking they were these puny things, but they were steep and tall. I ran up one and as I crested the hill I was filled with joy, both at how challenging it had been and at how cool the dunes were.

I proceeded to run along the steep, middle part that probably has a name that I don't know. My shoes filled with wet sand. I ran down a part fast and up another slow, these naturally rolling hills of sand making for a great workout.

Now how does this help me run fearless?

1. Even though I didn't think it was going to be that great, I gave it a shot and THOROUGHLY enjoyed it and will probably do it again.
2. I didn't really have any plans on where exactly I was going to run, how long, or how hard, but I went out and enjoyed myself in the nasty weather and right now I feel pretty dang happy.
3. And lastly my family, specifically my cousin's husband, had made breakfast early and I had had a conference call before that with a mastermind group for the Success Principles book. I decided that if I was going to go running it needed to be before the wedding and festivities or I wouldn't be able to go. So I went and it was great. Then I ate and that was great.
   

NCAA National Prelims

What you may not know is that there are two HUGE track meets going on right under our noses and they are the preliminaries for the NCAA National Championships. Some results from yesterday have been posted on the NCAA Track and Field site. Check them out.

The post for today is a review of this month's posts and what I consider the top 10 blog posts of May.

1. Roger Bannister and what he teaches us
2. My encounter with Iain Hunter, St. George Marathon winner, and his running advice
3. The SMART goals break down and my application
4. The importance of water during exercise
5. The Frank Shorter to Steve Prefontaine application
6. Incredible Kenyan runners who don't train on Sunday
7. Viruses, Parasites, Homeopathy and Healing
8. The Secret to Becoming the Best Athlete
9. How I plan on changing the world
10. High heart rate, low intensity: What's the deal!
    

Be Clear Why You're Here

Principle #2 of Jack Canfield's Success Principles is "Be Clear Why You're Here". I'm going to use this post to sum up in my own words what this means, how I have applied it and how you can do it too.

What were you put on this earth to do? Purpose statements. What's the "why" behind everything you do? Your inner guidance system. The first sentences of this paragraph gather the main points of the chapter. Everybody is good at something. Maybe you're good at lot of things and maybe just a few. No matter what your situation you are good at something. You have been given that gift, that talent, that ability to change the world. Some people do it through medicine, research, sports, insurance, law, teaching etc. The trick is to find out what you're good at, what you love to do and capitalize on those things. We can then create a purpose system. When we figure out our purpose and then go forward doing things to accomplish that purpose then we can be successful, happy and fulfilled. If our purpose is what is driving us then it's possible to stay on track and not be swayed. As we do things in concordance with our purpose we are more effective too.

I took some time and figured out what I love to do and what I'm good at. I decided what I want to do during this life and what I'm supposed to be doing. I then created a purpose statement that has fueled me ever since, and here it is:

My purpose

Prepare this earth for the second coming of Jesus Christ by using my unique talents and abilities to inspire, motivate and teach everyone I possibly can through my own life's example and formal teaching so that others achieve their potential and have an opportunity to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.

Now it's your turn. In my post Brandon Sanderson and what I learned I talked about three questions we can ask ourselves when determining what we want or will do with our lives Truman Madsen quoted another man named John A. Widstoe saying, “When choosing a career ask yourself, 1. What am I good at? 2. What do I love to do? And 3. What does the world need?” Answer those, then identify what your talents and gifts are, then how you enjoy expressing those gifts/qualities with others, then figure out what you want to do to help the world. You may need to brainstorm, cut, paste, insert whatever but you'll get there and if you need help I can help you. Let me know in the comment box below (ps that is not a trick to get you to comment:) I really do want to help you and I will.

This is a principle that is truly helping me and allowing me to run, live and be fearless. Have a great day and run fearless!

Running Tip #1: Conservation of Energy

Alright, so I know I've given a lot of running tips, but this is an official "tip" so get ready!!!

The lesson today has to do with the Conservation of Energy as we run. We all have a tendency to tighten up as we run. There's something wrong with that. As we do that our muscles tighten. Muscles that we don't really need to be working begin to work and energy is wasted.

The trick is to recognize it when it happens and to know where to look. If we can know where to look and recognize it then we can conserve energy thus running faster, longer and beating everyone in the world! Okay, let's proceed.

The biggest problem areas in my opinion are the hands, shoulders and face. As you run take time periodically to examine those three areas. Don't clench your hands into fists, relax. Don't tighten your shoulders up, relax. Don't scrunch your face, relax. I know that's easier said then done, but it's possible and more than that it works.

Have a good day and Run Fearless!

Viruses, Parasites, Homeopathy and Healing

May 2009 I got sick and I was out. I went home, to Washington, with my wife in July of the same year and I was sick again. December of the same year, right before Christmas, I got sick again. January of this year I got sick again. September 2009 through January 2010 I was so tired. If I got less than 8 hours of sleep then I couldn't function. Even if I did get 8 hours of sleep I would still fall asleep during classes and other activities where I was sitting down for long periods of time. The worst were situations where lights dimmed--that's when I felt like I got knocked out. I started feeling pain in my foot, went in for an x-ray and found out I had a stress fracture--first one ever. 2 months later it still wasn't healed, but I was frustrated. I had gone in to see the doctor several times. They did blood work, urine tests and an EKG to try to figure things out. My platelet count was low each time so they told me in the end that I had a mono-like virus and had gotten heat exhaustion. They said there was nothing I could do except wait it out and come back in to see them in a couple months. I don't know about you, but that's a little frustrating to hear.

My in-laws and wife are very naturally minded and they reccommended that I go to a homeopathic/naturpathic clinic and get a Meridian Stress Assessment test done. To make a long explanation short, I held on to a copper handle and the doctor touched me on the right foot and hand with a dull, copper-like probe all connnected to the computer which showed the parts of my body that was out of wack. The conclusion was that I had lyme and parasites with allergies to corn and mold. I was prescribed some supplements and a rigorous diet (no wheat, corn or dairy). I followed those instructions for 3 weeks and even before I went in for a check-up I knew things were getting better. I could feel it.

I began to feel more energy, and it wasn’t a high-drug-like energy, but I could feel a wholesome, healthy energy. I was able to pay attention better in my classes, I didn’t fall asleep (and haven’t) in my classes. I started experimenting and doing more things that I hadn't been doing very well like homework and reading. I was getting a little less sleep (6-7 hours/night) and I was still feeling great. Then my wife had a baby in early February and even though that was a shock to quite a few systems in my body, I was not only feeling good but I was really happy on top of that (and still am). I think the way I think about it is this: I went from feeling like I didn’t have control over what my body did to feeling in complete control and happy.

Now, I’m not saying you need to invest or believe in homeopathic or naturopathic medicine. I don’t know all the details to my recovery (and continuing recovery). I know that God was a key player too, BUT what I do know is that main-stream medicine was not helping, so I looked outside the box. I took a risk, and looking back it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Run fearless.

Take 100% Responsibilty for Your Life

This is the beginning of a series of scattered posts that include powerful principles that are helping me run fearless. It's incredible.

I was going to do it on a separate blog like I mentioned in my post The Success Principles, but I'm finding it hard to keep two blogs up and running. Join me now as I begin a Julie and Julia type examination and experiment of The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. With that said here is principle 1:

Principle 1 of The Success Principles is to take 100% responsibility. Canfield says that we must take 100% responsibility for everything in our lives. We usually blame others for unfortunate things and take credit for the wonderful things, but what is taught is we are the ones responsible.

That's what we have to do. In order to be successful, achieve our wildest dreams and become what we want to become we must take full responsibility for everything that happens in our lives. We have to stop playing the blame game. We have to stop giving excuses. We have to stop complaining.

What then is the solution? What can we do? I don't know why I'm talking in the first-person plural when this is my deal. Please forgive me and allow me to repent. What can I do? How can I take 100% responsibility? I have a couple of choices. I can either blame the event for my lack of results or I can change my response.

For me personally I could say, "I'm not a great runner because I have never had a great coach. I never knew how to train well and my personal needs were such that I needed extra help, but never got it."

OR, I could change my response and say, "I am the one that needs to learn what I need best. It is my fault I'm not a great runner right now because I expected everyone to help me. It is MY responsibility to know me and understand how I can become my very best, strongest and fastest."

I want to conclude by saying this is tough! It kind of hurts and I resist when I think that everything is a result of something that I have created. The cool part, for me at least, is as I realize I'm doing this I have the ability to stop it and make a difference in my life. Canfield proposes some questions we can ask ourselves:

1. How am I creating this or allowing this to happen?
2. What am I doing that's working that I need to do more of?
3. What am I doing that's not working?
4. What do I need to do less of?
5. What am I not doing that I need to try on to see if it works?

As I pay attention to what I think, say and do I have been able to see patterns in my life. As I take 100% responsibility I feel empowered. I hope you do/will too. Run fearless.

The Secret to Becoming the Best Athlete

If you could know the secret to becoming the best athlete, staying injury-free and really get the most out of your workouts what would you do? Would you pay money? Most would. Would you read this post? Heck yeah!

I think we can all agree that Kenyans are some of the best runners in the world. They have the fastest marathoners and very, very fast runners at all distances. I wrote a post last Sunday on fast Kenyan athletes who don't train on Sunday. Recently I added links to each of their names for more information and I updated some of their times. You will recall that they take a day of the week, many times for religious purposes, to rest completely. Those who DO train on Sunday are the minority.

When you train hard every day you continually deplete what is called muscle glycogen. It takes a day or two to replenish this and that is the function of easy days. You will also recall the run I had with St. George Marathon champion Iain Hunter where I asked him for his best advice. One of the things he told me was to take the easy days easy. The point of an easy day is not to see who's the fastest or beat yourself into the ground like you did the previous day, but rather a chance to get your muscles moving, heart pumping and recover from the previous day's workout.

The last point is when it comes to the end of a season and the Kenyans have had their last race they rest hard-core. I'm not talking about a rest where you play other sports and give yourself a mental break, I'm talking about a month to two-month total rest and recovery. Moses Kiptanui, Nixon Kiprotich and Patrick Sang would take these total-rest recoveries.

In summary, if you want to be the best, have less injuries and really get the most out of your hard workouts you need to rest one day out of the seven, take the easy days easy and after the season is over take a month or two off. These are ways to run fearless, enjoy!

How I plan to change the world

I've been sending out invitations on Facebook to friends so that they can invite their friends to my Facebook page and then to my blog. I say in that invitation that I want to change the world through running. I had a friend ask me how I planned on doing that. It was the first time I'd been asked that, but I was ready for the question. Here's my response:

Ghandi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." If I want the world to be happy then I must be happy. If I want the world to treat others with love then I must do the same. I want people to love and accept one another and that's what I'm trying to do. I am far from perfect, just ask anyone close to me, but I'm trying hard to be the change I want to see in the world.

But how will I do this through running?

Step 1: Make the BYU Cross-Country team

Step 2: Be an NCAA National Champion

Step 3: Obtain a sponsorship from a major company and several smaller ones (example: Nike and then Clif bar, Kellogs etc)

Step 4: Qualify for big races(IAAF Diamond league, races in Europe etc) and win.

Step 5: Qualify for the Olympics and win a gold medal. When you win gold medals and you're the best runner in the world then people look to you as an important, influential person. I want to then, or even before that, do things like Greg Mortenson from "Three Cups of Tea" and build schools in countries where they need it. His theory is that terrorism comes because people are educated the wrong ways, like by the Al Qaeda, because they have no other alternative for education--and these people are STARVING for education. I want to be a motivational speaker and be a positive influence in the lives of kids, teens and adults. Ultimately because of this I plan to continue being very open, honest and stalwart about my faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. I know that it is only through Him that we can be saved and only through following Him that we can truly be happy.

Boom! I just let that all out. That was a big step for me. Run Fearless is where you will be able to follow me. You'll be able to see what I'm doing. You will see me go from where I am now to where I will be.

Why is my heart racing when I’m not even running that hard?

Yesterday morning I went out and ran. Immediately I could tell that something was wrong. I started huffing and puffing and my heart was beating fast. The only problem was that I wasn’t running that fast. Why does this happen? This morning I checked my resting heart rate and it was about 44 beats per minute (bpm). Then I went running and did some hills and my heart rate immediately raced up to 180 bpm, but I wasn’t running that hard I promise!

I called my Exercise Physiology professor, Philip Allsen, and these are the questions he asked me:

1. How much sleep did you get last night? I told him that I had gone to bed around 11pm and I had woken up around 7:30am. He seemed satisfied with that response. About 8.5 hours of sleep with a 20 minute interruption by the baby as I rocked him to sleep.
2. Did you drink any water? I replied, “Not as much as I should have.” Duh! I’m dumb. That’s all I have to say. In yesterday's post I talked about how hydration affects stroke volume which affects heart rate. I thought that because I had done a decent job hydrating yesterday that that had been enough, but I was wrong.
3. Did you have anything to eat? Shamefully I responded that no I had not. He told me that a fall in blood sugar can affect heart rate too. Maybe I should have eaten some of my granola before I went...
   
4. The last thing he mentioned (and not really in the form of a question) was that it could be a result of overtraining. He told me to do the hydration and eating before my workout and see if that didn’t fix it.
   

I now make a firm resolution to do what I know I should have been doing and consume a good amount of fluid and carbohydrate before I exercise. This is definitely something I need in order to be able to run fearless.

If you have favorite things to eat before working out that help you run fearless, in the morning or later in the day, let us know in the comments below.

The learn about how to run, live and be fearless visit my other blog where I put “The Success Principles” to the test at http://watchcalebfly.blogspot.com/

H 2 the izz-O!

I just want to start off this post/entry by saying you are awesome! If you're reading this you're awesome! If you're not, then you're still awesome! Being great, wonderful and awesome is not determined by what you do, but by who you are. Each one of us has inside of us the potential to be great in unique ways. We each possess talents and abilities unique to us which should tell us that we have the ability to succeed and be great with what we have. Anyways, I just felt like writing that!

Today class I want to talk to you about a very important molecule called H2O. I really am not a scientist (yet) and I don't know everything, but I do love water and it is very important for runners, athletes and pretty much everyone on the face of planet earth who possesses a body. You could read a lot of scholarly articles on why water is important and if that interests you please do, but here are some things I've learned according to articles I've read and an Exercise Physiology class I took:

1. Fluid replacement affects heart rate. There was a study done and they found that as people did physical activity obviously their heart rate went up, but those who did NOT drink water their heart rate went up more than those who DID drink water. The more your heart beats, the more work you're doing and more tired you will become so if you want to be able to do more work for a longer period of time then drink water!
2. Stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected with each beat of your heart. The more blood an athlete can eject per beat the better. Those who are highly trained have low heart rates and high stroke volumes. Studies show that those who hydrate are able to maintain and improve stroke volume whereas those who do NOT, their stroke volume decreases. If you want to be able to eject more blood from your heart per beat (which is a good thing) then drink water!
3. If you want to ensure that your VO2 max or maximum oxygen uptake (or in other words your ability to effectively use oxygen as you do intense exercise) is optimum then drink water.
4. Water in the body helps control heat. A heat illness is a good way to earn a vacation AWAY from exercise.
5. Water helps prevent circulatory collapse.

How can we know if we're hydrated?

1. Look at the color of your urine and make sure it's consistently a lemonade-like color. (An apple-cider-like color is a bad sign p.s.)
2. Weigh before you exercise.
3. Weigh after you exercise.
4. And for every pound of body weight lost, replace with 1.5 pints of fluid. For example I weigh about 136 lbs. I go running and I weigh myself before (136) and after (134). I lost 2 lbs so I need to replace that loss with 3 pints or 48 oz (8 oz is a cup, 16 oz is a pint and so on).

I find it helpful to carry a large water bottle around wherever I go and drink often. What have you found to be helpful in remembering to drink water? Share you ideas in the comments below. Thank you and run fearless!

Shorter to Prefontaine

I heard this story in high school about Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine. I tried my best to Google it, but I could not find it. It may not exist, so you may want to stop reading now before I fill your head with a possibly true or possibly false story...

Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine were running one time and a snowstorm started. Pre complained to Shorter about the snow etc. and Shorter responded something to the effect of, "You know that no one is training harder than us." In a nasty situation Shorter found the benefit of the training.

This morning I went running at the park. It was a good temperature with a slight sprinkle and so I removed a long-sleeve shirt, my gloves and beanie and continued running. A couple minutes later it started. It began to rain harder. I could hear it hit the trees. I could feel it soaking into every fiber of my clothes. I was sopping wet and I thought, "Maybe I should cut my run short..." And then I thought about it making me stronger and about Shorter and Pre. I continued. I felt a surge of energy as I made a resolution inside of myself to continue and that was wonderful.

A common cliché is, "What doesn't kill you can make you stronger." Which can be true depending on the circumstance. It can also leave you paralyzed or brain-dead. I need to make sure I'm not making unnecessary risks, but at the same time push myself so I can become stronger and faster. That's one of the ways how I run fearless.

iPods and MP3s

I never have run with an iPod or MP3 until recently. I used to think that if I was running with one then I wouldn't be able to listen to my body as much. I still think there's some truth to that, but my opinion is changing. Music is motivating especially when you run alone. I ran for an hour and half this morning without music and it was great. I thought out loud, gathered ideas and formed plans for the day and near future. I do however have some issues with iPods and MP3s.

I have a cousin and she told me once that she liked to run at night with her iPod. To me that's not okay. That's asking for someone to attack you for reals. I think that if you're going to run a lot on roads and cross a lot of streets then you should either have it on a low volume or turn it off until you get to an area where there aren't cars. When we turn it up so loud we can't hear anything else we become hazards to everyone.

I was riding my bike home and because of the street and traffic I was forced to ride on the sidewalk. Some guy was listening to his iPod and I yelled to him that I was coming. He was walking down the middle of the sidewalk so I went as far to the side of him as I could and almost hit him, then he yelled at me. Does anyone besides me see anything wrong with that? I yelled back. Run fearless. Until tomorrow.

A day of rest

A popular belief among many runners and coaches is that you have to train every day of the week in order to be the best. Kenyans kind of put that philosophy to shame. Now, I'm not saying I know every Kenyan and how they train and yes there are several who indeed train on Sunday, but let me mention several who do not and how successful they are...

David Rudisha doesn't train on Sunday and among many things he has done a 1:42:01 for 800m is not too shabby.

Stephen Cheruiyot Cherono (Saif Saaeed Shaheen) doesn't train on Sunday and he is a gold medalist and current world record holder of the steeplechase.

Jeruto Kiptum doesn't train on Sunday and SHE has run 2:04 for the 800m, 4:08 for the 1500m and 9:01 for the 3000m.

Ezekiel Kemboi doesn't train on Sunday and he won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic steeplechase.

Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet doesn't either and she owns a bronze medal for the 5000m at the 2006 African Games.

At one of the most famous running camps in Kenya, the Armed Forces camp, they do 3 workouts each day and then Sunday is a day of rest.

One of the most famous female runners in history, Catherine Ndereba doesn't train on Sunday "for religious reasons".

Felix Limo doesn't train on Sunday and he boasts a 61:15 for the half-marathon and a 2:06:14 for a full-marathon.

Salina Kosgei has run 67:52 for the half and 2:23:22 for the full which is close to the U.S. Men's Marathon Olympic Trials standard for 2008 and she's a woman! She doesn't train on Sunday either.

I will conclude with Robert "Mwafrika" Kipkoech Cheruiyot who won the Boston Marathon in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008 along with the Chicago Marathon in 2006 and he doesn't train on Sunday either.

Is it a coincidence that many of the top runners do not train on Sunday? I think they realize that if the hard days during the week are really hard and the easy days are easy then the body needs a day of total rest both physically, mentally and emotionally. I end this blog with my personal witness that when we honor Sunday as a Sabbath day or holy day then God honors us and gives us power to run even better than we thought possible. Run fearless!

My workout this morning

This week I started adding in a second workout. I would do my hard/main workout first thing in the morning and then sometime later in the day I did another run, usually easy. I ran an extra 15 miles total and I was pretty tired and worn out. This morning I did repeat miles at Kiwanis Park. One week ago they didn't go so well, but this morning they were great.

Several times this week I didn't want to go out and run. I was tired. I had gotten up with the baby, or I had woken up early to take care of the baby (now, don't get me wrong, my wife does most of the work; I'm just available for back-up) etc. So I just told myself those times that I didn't want to run that I didn't have to run hard. I told myself that I could start out easy and if I felt good I could speed up. Specifically my Tempo run on Wednesday and my Repeat miles this morning. They ended up being some of my best workouts.

I personally am grateful that I can walk, run and feel joy doing it. I am grateful to be alive and able to do so many wonderful things with such an incredible body. Run fearless!

The Success Principles

The other day I was frustrated about what was going on in my life. Currently I am unemployed and I've applied to fifteen different jobs. That day I went up to the mountains and sat on a rock. In my frustration I yelled, "Isn't there a way to do what I truly love and make a living?"

A couple hours later my mother-in-law called Amy and they were talking on the phone. My mother-in-law had no idea I had been in the mountains, frustrated and searching. She said that she was in a book club for the book "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield and wanted to know if I wanted to join. The reason she had thought of this is because she read a part in the book that talks about if you do what you love and you have a purpose then you can make money doing it. I have joined the book club and I have read several parts already. I would like to propose an experiment.

Some of you may have seen "Julie and Julia". I haven't, but my wife has and she told me about it, then I watched the trailer and I think I got the general idea. I want to do something similar with Canfield's book and take you with me as I attack my ambitions relentlessly. I will post each principle as often as I am able at http://watchcalebfly.blogspot.com/. I will tell you the idea and how I am applying it into my life and you will be able to apply into your life and live fearless. Stay tuned America! Here it comes, the storm of Caleb and his sidekick Run Fearless!!!

Brandon Sanderson and what I learned

I think there comes a time in everyone’s life where they have to take a step back and really ask themselves if what they’re doing is really what they want to be doing. I not only think these times are normal but I think they are great. I think we need to question ourselves and ask ourselves why we’re doing something and what we’re doing.

I went to a reading on BYU campus recently of a science fiction/fantasy writer who had written 8 novels. His name is Brandon Sanderson and his resume is long so you can Google him if you want to know more. He was a little crazy and disturbing to me at the beginning but he said something that impacted me and I will forever be grateful. During his undergraduate and like a year after graduation he hadn’t been published. He said in his introduction that he had to decide what he wanted to do. He came to the conclusion that even if he didn’t make a cent on any of his books that writing is what he loved to do and he was going to continue doing it. He wrote a HUGE fantasy novel and later that year got a call from company who wanted to publish one of his previous novels.

I think that story can be turned into an introspective, evaluative and reflective question, “If I wasn’t getting any money for what I’m doing would I still be doing it?” What are my reasons for doing what I do?

In a class I took I received some excellent counsel in choosing a career. A man named Truman Madsen quoted another man named John A. Widstoe saying, “When choosing a career ask yourself, 1. What am I good at? 2. What do I love to do? And 3. What does the world need?” That has helped me in a lot of my decision making.

I want to run and make running and everything connected with it my future because I love it. Ever since high school I have felt that I was being held back from performing very well. Who knows all the reasons why, but I believe it was because I wasn’t ready--whether that was physically, mentally, emotionally etc. I believe there is a champion inside of me waiting to come out and conquer. Until then I will continue to run fearless. I invite you to do so too.

St George Marathon winner, Iain Hunter and his advice

I did a tempo run in the morning, and then because it wasn't too hot outside I ran again in the afternoon. I set out for what I planned to be a 3-mile run, but then it turned into 6. At about a mile and a half into the run Iain Hunter saw and waved. He had been my Bio mechanics professor and we had spent time talking before and after class. In 2009 he won the St. George Marathon and he came and ran with me. I asked him what advice he would give to a college runner like myself and he told me the following...

1. Listen to your coach. I'm not on the BYU team, and he knew that, but he said that Ed Eyestone is one of the greatest and best coaches in the nation and that his workouts are close to perfect. He makes adjustments during a workout and according the needs of each athlete.
2. Take the easy days easy. I had heard this and read this in a variety of sources. Iain said that easy days are meant for recovery. He said he has seen several athletes injure themselves because they have over-trained. They go on an easy run and start running 6 min. miles because they can, but they don't allow their bodies to recover and they go through this vicious cycle where they think that if they can push it every day they'll be the best, but they just end up injuring themselves. I read about this in "More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way" and the Kenyans take the easy days easy and then the hard days they push it HARD. How are you supposed to attack a hard session if your tired from your easy, recovery run? You can't. I was also reading some tips from Ryan Hall and Denna Kastor (two of America's top marathoners) and both mentioned taking the easy days easy so you can attack the hard days.
3. Every other long run, run hard. Iain told me about how he and Josh McAdams, NCAA & U.S.A. champion and Olympic steeplechaser, would go out on a long run the last 2/3 or 1/2 would be significantly hard. He said that with all the top coaches that he's spoken with across the nation, they agree too. He then told me about Josh Rohatinsky who trains in Oregon with Alberto Salazar and his group. They would go on an 18-mile long run on a 3-mile loop and each loop would be faster until the last loop they would do at 5-minute mile pace.

I am grateful to have run across Iain Hunter and I thank him for his advice and words of wisdom. I think he is a great man, professor and person. I have never heard an unkind word come out of his mouth nor have a ever heard him talk about how fast he is and believe me when you have qualified for the Olympic Marathon trials you have something to talk about. Have a good day and Run Fearless!

SMART goals, break-down and example

SMART goals can be applied to almost anything you can set a goal to. I have given you the break-down with an example of a real goal I have for this year. Read on and Run Fearless.

S(pecfic)	I want to make the BYU Men’s Cross-Country team.
M(easurable)	I will run 4 miles in 21:50 or faster to at least make it into BYU’s top 20 (Based on the results from the first race of the season that doubles as a try-out race)
A(ttainable)	To run 21:50 I need to be able to run 4 consecutive miles in 5:27.5 per mile (5 min 27 sec 5tenths) (My time last year was 22:32 It was a 30 sec improvement from the previous 4 miler I did, and I was also battling heat exhaustion (during the 22:32.) So with that said I think I can do it. I also ran a 3 mile time-trial on the track, by myself, all-out on Saturday May 1st averaging 5:35 per mile so I think it’ll be possible to get there.)
R(ange)	I like to make several goals, some that are pretty attainable and then some that make me stretch even more. In high school I learned from my coaches to make a 3-range goal 1 being achievable, 2 being lofty and 3 being superhuman (for me, not for anyone else). Achievable: 21:50; Lofty: 20:28; Superhuman: 20:16 and For my purposes I LOVE to just dream about breaking 5 minutes each time and going sub 20:00.
T(imed)	This will happen at the end of the 1st or 2nd week of September.

The first known uses of the term occur in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran. The change from R(Realistic, Reachable) to R(Range) was made by Scott Baird.

Home-made Granola, Caleb style!

Alright, this granola is bomb! I made it today and it's so good. Enjoy and Run Fearless. I love granola.

8 c. Whole Rolled Oats
1/2 c. Spelt flour
3/4 c. Milled Flax seed
1/2 c. coconut
1/8 c. Sesame seeds
1 c. sliced almonds (Add the ingredients in this order and then stir it all up)

1/2 c. Olive oil (or vegetable oil, I just used Olive)
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. agave nectar
3 T Sucanat
3 T Turbinado
A dash (or a couple dashes) Cinnamon
1 t vanilla

Then you stir it all up again, then lay it on two cookie sheets all spread out

Heat oven to 225 degrees F and let it cook for 90 minutes (rotating the pans if you desire)

To my mother

I gave a talk in church today and I mentioned how my mother always made sure to have breakfast in bed ready for each of us on our birthdays and that was something nice that she did for my siblings and I. I remembered something else: When I would go to track meets my mom would buy me a Clif bar or Powerbar or Tiger's Milk bar and hide it in my bag. She would also write these powerful, affirmation-like notes saying, "You can do it!" "You're awesome!" "You're the best!" "You are so fast". For those things and countless others I am SO grateful and I know my mother has helped me learn how to run fearless. Thank you, and I love you mom.

Harvard Study of Barefoot Running

Now, I think this is pretty legit, too legit to quit as my buddy MC Hammer would say. There's more if you google Nature Magazine and Dr. Lieberman and the video I got from http://www.runbare.com/389/new-study-by-dr-daniel-lieberman-on-barefoot-running-makes-cover-story-in-nature-journal/

Barefoot running

I read a Facebook comment last night that my friend posted and it was about running barefoot. I kept thinking about it so I just (like 10 minutes ago) clicked on the link (http://running.competitor.com/2010/05/features/but-is-it-faster_9784) and read the article he had linked to. I recommend you read it too, I really liked it and I think it made some great points. I am in no way trying to argue my point or try to prove anyone wrong. I'm not an exercise scientist nor am I a bio mechanics graduate so really the only thing I got for you-all is a testimonial with nothing to gain. This ties in perfectly with the post I was going to do about this last week's training, click here.

I have no sponsor. "Born to Run" has paid me nothing nor has Vibram. Here's the short version of my story, I'll probably do a longer version sometime later this month, or maybe not. My friend knows well how injury-prone I was and still am. I was injured every single Cross-Country and Track season in high school and it almost always happened during the season. Because of that I turned to triathlons in college doing several Olympic distance triathlons and a half-ironman, but I didn't love it. I love(d) running.

I friend recommended "Born to Run" and I read it and I loved it. Since I had nothing to lose I started running barefoot. I started off small at first, but eventually got to where I was doing 18+ mile runs barefoot (and that was the real dizzle barefoot, not with my Vibram Five Fingers). I always run at parks. Here in Provo there are several that work for me. To make a long story short the majority of my running injuries were inflammation related--All the "itis" that you can think of from the waist down I had. When I started barefoot running in July of 2009 I have since had any inflammation. This week (May 3-8) I ran a total of 52 miles at parks in my Vibram Five Fingers. (Click here to go to my other page where I have posted my training, adapted from "More Fire: How to run the Kenyan way".) Next week I will run even more. Currently I do the majority of my runs in my Vibrams--It's hard to run completely barefoot when the ground is so cold (and when it snows and there's frost in May!).

Anyways, all I'm saying is that I love it and it has made me faster. I ran a four-mile race the first time I tried out for the BYU Cross-Country team in 23:04 and I tried out again this last year and dropped 30 seconds running 22:34 on an even tougher course. I think it's like anything new that comes out, there's research both ways--pros and cons and really it's hazard to walk out your front door (or depending on where you live, to even live! If that makes sense.) I encourage you to give it a shot and judge for yourself. Run Fearless.

"Born to Run", Christopher McDougall and Barefoot Running

Okay, maybe I said it before, but if not here it is: I am an advocate of barefoot running. I love the book "Born to Run" although I'm not in love with all the swear-words in it. There's a cool interview by Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau with the author of "Born to Run" and I invite you to check it out at http://ht.ly/1HVI7 . You have to scroll down a bit and the article preceding the audio of the interview has a couple swear words so beware. I listened to it as I was organizing my apartment.

Why I run (in an effort to prove I'm not a robot)

The following is an essay-like substance I created in my Creative Writing class and I thought you would enjoy it. My first attempt at essay writing wasn't as successful as I would have hoped, then in class we read an essay-like thing by Sherman Alexie so I patterned something after it:

I don’t know exactly what I’m doing. I’m worn out and tired, but the only thing I want to do is write.



Why I run



I.

As I enter the Olympic track stadium the lights blind me. For at least seven seconds I can’t see clearly, but then my eyes adjust. It’s night time and for an August evening in London it’s perfect weather for a 10,000 meter final. 6.2 miles around a quarter-mile track as fast as I possibly can. This is what I’ve been dreaming about for ten years.



II.

Every passion has its destiny. My life is a gift to me from my Creator.
What I do with my life is my gift back to the Creator.

—Billy Mills, 1964 Olympic 10,000 Meter Gold Medalist



III.

When I was a little kid, maybe two or maybe three, my dad would go running. He would sometimes take me along with him. He would put me on his shoulders and run. I think that’s when it started, although I can’t remember. It was probably recorded in the confines of my subconscious and there a seed of passion was planted that would grow, blossom and bear fruit. One time my dad stepped in a pot-hole while he was running. Both him and I were okay, just a twisted ankle for my dad.



IV.

My dad swims. That’s what he did growing up. He graduated from college. That’s when he began to run. He would go home and run. He would fly, he told me.



V.

Forrest Gump: When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.
Elderly Southern Woman on Park Bench: And so, you just ran?
Forrest Gump: Yeah.



VI.

My grandfather used to box. He told me about this time he almost won a championship, but he lost to this black kid who had a wicked left jab. I’m not sure what a left jab is, but if you have one that’s good.



VII.

A drum makes a sound

When you beat it.

Hands make a sound

When you clap them.

Rain makes a sound

When it hits.

Feet make a sound when they touch

The ground making a beautiful

Rhythm that slows up

And speeds down.



VIII.

Boy Scouts is where I started learning about goals, plans and dreams. One of the requirements for the Sports Merit Badge is to do an individual sport and I chose Track when I was in the seventh grade.



IX.

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

—Steve Prefontaine, NCAA running champion



X.

Jacob is my younger brother. His times each year have been faster than mine except his senior year, this year. I think he could be great. He’s got bright red hair and he’s stubborn as heck! I think that’s a key to his running success—refusing to lose.



XI.

My father believes in God

And so did my grandfather.

My father believes in God

He said he received an answer.

My father believes in God

He shows it on the outside.

My father believes in God

I can feel it on the inside.

My father believes in God

So

Do

I.



XII.

When I turned fifteen we got a dog. We think it was a Black Lab/Great Dane mix. We named him Triton. I would go running with him and so would my dad. One time my dad wasn’t paying attention and he tripped over Triton. My dad fell down and cut up his hands. When I was 20 years-old I was living in Argentina serving a mission for my church. I went running early one morning and it was dark. I did a workout called a fartlek, a Swedish word for speed-play. The sidewalk wasn’t even and I tripped and fell down and I cut up my hands.



XIII.

Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative.

—Steve Prefontaine



XIV.

One time I ran away. Can’t remember what I did. Arms pumping, legs moving, breathing hard as I ran to a park nearby where I grew up. I hid underneath a picnic table. Lying on the rough cement. Concealed. It wasn’t hot or cold outside, just normal. I beat my dad there. Had he followed me immediately when I left I don’t think he would have caught me, but he would have seen where I hid. I watched him from underneath the picnic table as he arrived angrily. He didn’t see me. I’d never run away before.



XV.

When I was a baby my dad would hold me.

I would cry and my dad

With a twinkle in his eye

Would do the Indian dance

And I would stop.

I’m a dad and my son cries so what I do

Is I take him in my arms,

Then I take this stance

And start to dance.

He stops, sometimes.



XVI.

I’ve tried out for the BYU Cross Country team twice. The first time I was a freshman and I missed making the team by one spot. I tried out again last year, and I was right on the bubble. I think I’ll try out again.



XVII.

After reading “Born to Run” I started running barefoot at parks. You could call me a “park-hopper”. The university’s intramural fields provided a very flat terrain and a perfect three-quarter mile loop free of roots and debris. Saturdays I would wake up sometimes at 4:30 a.m. to be there and running at 5:00. It was summer so it wasn’t too cold, but the ground was. Then I would run for two hours. My feet would get numb sometimes, but I loved it. Lap after lap, pushing my body, breathing hard, legs hurting, lungs burning on a seventeen-mile run barefoot. The crazy thing was that it never got boring. I ran hundreds of miles barefoot and my injuries disappeared. I wouldn’t have believed it either.



XVIII.

When I run I feel like I’m flying.

This is not a spam blog, thanks.

Dear Google, friends, family, friends of family, friends of the friends of my family and the whole world of everyone,
I wish to make a statement on behalf of myself and my blog: I am not a robot and here is the evidence:

Caleb
I bleed when I’m cut
I have feelings
I think about things, like in full sentences
I have hair follicles
My body repairs itself when it gets injured
I have a son and I helped make him
I have a multi-lever joint system
I breathe and I don’t have vents
I sweat when I get to hot—meaning that a salty liquid leaves the pores of my body

Robot
Robots don’t bleed, except sometimes mechanical fluid
Real robots don’t even have feelings, sometimes on movies they do—But not on Star Wars at least
Robots don’t do that
Robots don’t
Robots have to have someone repair
Robots can’t produce offspring
Robots don’t usually have that going on
Robots have vents on their bodies to let hot air out
Robots have fans built into their bodies to cool them down


Thus we may see I am the complete opposite of a robot and this blog is the opposite of a spam blog. Thanks and Run Fearless!

Roger Bannister

Paul, Roger, Pre[fontaine], You and Me (Say it rhythmically and it rhymes real niceJ)

Runner's World reminded me that today is the anniversary of Roger Bannister's historic sub 4:00 mile and below is a video of that race. I had written this post and saved it a while back and found it appropriate to take it out and unleash the power of following what you know to be true despite fierce opposition and criticism.

Roger Bannister, born 1929, with time would run a mile close to four minutes which inspired him to believe that a sub four-minute mile was possible. People had believed, for a number of reasons, that the sub four-minute mile was impossible, but on May 6^th, 1954 he did it. He proved all the disbelievers wrong.

Steve Prefontaine knew this too. He knew that he shouldn’t put limits on himself or anyone else, thus titled one of his movies “Without Limits”. There’s a lot to say about Pre, but we’ll leave it at that—He didn’t listen when people told him he couldn’t, and even though he had great success and some failure he always believed he could do whatever he wanted to.

There was an apostle of Jesus Christ named Paul. He persecuted the disciples and apostles of Jesus, but then he had a vision from God and began to preach what he knew to be true. He encountered a lot of opposition. In the 26^th book of Acts in the New Testament you can read the full account. He stands up for what he knows he saw and almost persuades king Agrippa to be a Christian as he himself says. Eventually he would die a martyrs’ death for what he knew to be true.

My buddy told me I couldn’t break four minutes for the mile. Whenever I talk to people about going to the Olympics they’re usually pretty accepting, but then when I tell them my current times they become a little skeptical. But I know what I have felt. I know I can accomplish my goals and dreams.

You can make the same choice. In an introduction to a writer that I heard the following quote, “Before you settle for the real world, shoot for the perfect world.” This life will never come again. Shouldn’t it be the one you want? Shouldn’t you being doing what YOU want to do and accomplishing what YOU want to accomplish? I know that as we listen to our hearts and fight the opposition and criticism we all face, we will find ways to do the things we truly desire. Have a good day and run fearless!

Vibram Five Fingers Review

I was sitting in church when a teacher said he had read the book "Born to Run" and then he said that I would love reading it. He let me borrow the book and that's when my running paradigm shifted dramatically. I started running barefoot at parks. I built up mileage to where I was doing the majority of my runs on grass, barefoot at parks. I did several long runs of over 15 miles barefoot and I loved it.
Then I bought the Vibram Five Fingers. I still favor running on grass and soft surfaces, but now I can do it without worrying if I'm going to step on something sharp and hurt myself. I don't wear socks, usually, with my Vibrams and because of that I've gotten several blisters. I think that's the only negative thing I have to say about them. I think they are a great product and I recommend them. I had a guy in my Exercise Physiology class tell me that we, as people from the U.S., can't handle having no support and being close to barefoot. To that I say, you're right to some degree, but we also can't just walk outside and run a marathon or even better, an ultra-marathon, without training (or if we do without hurting ourselves.) Anything new that is introduced to the body requires training, upsetting homeostasis and becoming stronger. In my opinion, that's how it is with running barefoot and the Vibram Five Fingers.
I think running barefoot and with the Vibrams was an answer from God. I had been so frustrated about my running and exercise in general that I didn't know what to do. I fell back in love with running. I know God looks out for us and I know He answers prayers, even about minor things like exercise and running.

Famous Running Quotes

"Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative."

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races? All my life people have been telling me, 'You're too small Pre' , 'You're not fast enough Pre', 'Give up your dream Steve'. But they forgot something, I have to win!."-Pre

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." -Pre

(Courtesy of http://www.prorunningsource.com/prefontainequotes.html and http://www.justrunners.com/pre%27s_legacy.htm on 4 May 2010)

Chris Solinsky 10,000m AMERICAN RECORD!!!

No post would be complete, current and down-right cool without a post on the new 10,000 meter American Record that was set this last Saturday by Chris Solinsky in Palo Alto, CA at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. This is run fearless at it's best, check it out at http://bit.ly/bdChMk and/or http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/236854/331184. I found this from a twitter feed from Runner's World today. Thanks Runner's World. Below is a shorter YouTube version I found of the last two laps, not as good quality, but still dang good!

New American 10,000 meter Record

No post would be complete, current and down-right cool without a post on the new 10,000 meter American Record that was set this last Saturday by Chris Solinsky in Palo Alto, CA at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. This is run fearless at it's best, check it out at http://bit.ly/bdChMk and/or http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/236854/331184. I found this from a twitter feed from Runner's World today. Thanks Runner's World.