Hitting close to home....

The head of Ahwatukee Cycling Group and competitive cyclist friend of mine was hit while bicycling in Ahwatukee at Elliot Rd. and 48th St. Heidi Clayton, 42, is in the intensive-care unit at the center, according to her Web page. She was struck by a teen driver and Heidi now faces hand and back surgery. Funds for her care are being raised on the site www.cyclistsagainstrecklessdrivers.org. Phoenix police Sgt. Frank Matsko confirmed that Clayton and a pickup truck driven by a teenager collided near Elliot Road and 48th Street on the morning of March 25. The accident is still being investigated, he said. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts.

Thanks.

Awareness Test:

Yeah, I got 13 too, but I missed the bear. Did you?

Quote of the Day.....

"The secret to mountain biking is pretty simple. The slower you go the more likely it is you'll crash."

~Professional Mountain Biker Juli Furtado

Quick update

Went out to SoMo for a nice Bouldering Sesh yesterday. Met some great friends, did some sends. Got on some routes that I'd done previously, but for some reason they seemed harder. Weirdy.....

Didn't realize how much my hands get scraped up on the rock out here. Last time, it didn't seem to take as much skin. Left quite a bit of blood on the rock along with chalk. Dunno if my hands are more sensitive or what. Not so much flappers, as actual cuts on my fingers and palms. I know this rock is chossy, but it's frickin' reeedickulous!

Anyways, it's been beautiful weather, hopefully can do more climbing/bouldering before the weather turns to Hell. That's all for now........

That's "SIR" Fivefingers to you!

Sweet! So it finally happened! YEEEAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!

As an employee at REI, we have uber opportunities to sit-in and learn about the various products we love and use ourselves. I attended a Vibram (apparently pronounced vee-brum in La Moda Italiana) clinic with a Vibram rep who explained the usage and fit of the FiveFingers line. I had used my FiveFinger KSO's for the RAGNAR Relay Race the weekend before, and had turned in some of my best running times ever for an event. I was excited to see a guide for actually fitting these on users, as well as a full catalog featuring pictures of people using them for running. It was also interesting to see the different styles that are set to debut soon.

I asked when she was done if Vibram does a sponsorship for its athletes for local events or anything. She mentioned that Vibram doesn't necessarily "sponsor" athletes, but that they may become ambassadors for the brand. This involved being a "face" for FiveFingers (as strange a visual as that may sound) and basically wearing them in public. I've been a proponent for FiveFingers for almost a year now, and LOVE living in them.

So now my info has been forwarded on to Vibram, so I just have to wait to hear from 'em. I think this will be the hardest part. But I SO looking forward to being a representative for FiveFingers! I can't wait!!!!! I have a Twitter, Facebook, and DailyMile account where I spout off a lot about Vibram FiveFingers. Check 'em out if you haven't already!

The Sandbag Cometh!

Growing up, I was always into different sports. I love competing, and have a highly competitive nature anyways. It wouldn't matter what sport it was, I wanted to win. Being a cross-country runner, I always enjoyed running, but I wasn't the greatest at it. I tried my best to running fast, but I definitely wasn't the fastest. I wanted to be, but there were definitely others who where faster. I started being a sandbagger before I even knew there was a term for it, before I ever started climbing.

I ran in the rain on Monday in my Vibram FiveFingers and enjoyed it. But I was thinking of the past when I would become discouraged that I couldn't run as fast as other guys. I would feign some sort of injury or illness that would prevent me from running as fast as I could. Or at least as hard as I could try.

I kept going back through my high school track days (which seem probably rosier than they were). I kept thinking about how I used to run the mile in 5:31, and how hard it would be to run that fast again at that pace, although I probably could run just a single mile close to that time. Then, as my mild wondered, I compared my regular running pace to what I ran in high school. I thought, "how in the world did I go from 5:31/mi to my current best of 7:45?!!" And even on my best days, I couldn't match the pace I had in high school. Then a lightbulb seemingly switched on. Yeah, I don't think I ever ran a 5:31 mile, even on my best days. I think I must've projected the other runners' times onto my own finishing time. I'm pretty sure Zach Irvine probably could've run a 5:31, but I'm sure I didn't.

It was at this point I felt a ton of pressure lift off my shoulders. I felt like years (OK, I've been outta high school for a decade. And a half.) of my own expectations were dashed. I've been feeling for YEARS that my running has taken a dive. I felt like I'd been sandbagging, and never living up to my potential. I guess it's just that I'm living up to lower expectations. That's not so bad. At least I now have a new perspective on my fitness!!

Up In Your Bedroom, After The War

"It's us, yes, we're back again
Here to see you through 'til the day's end
And if the night comes and the night will come
Well at least the war is over."

Stars - In Our Bedroom, After The War


This is one of my favorite Stars (is it "The Stars?" I was corrected once by someone who assured me there was no "The" in the band's title) songs, and have often thought about the meaning while I'm out on the road running. I often have it "running" through my mind (forgive the bad pun, ask my girlfriend, I really can't help it) and it again popped up in my head today while running.

This last weekend I did the Ragnar del Sol Relay from Prescott to Tempe. It's a great race, and tons of fun to deal as a team. I did it the first time two years ago, and this year I was the only veteran among 11 other "newbie" teammates. The race was immensely surreal, as, in the middle of the night during a leg along the dark highway, a teen runner was hit by a vehicle. He wasn't actually running, but handing off water to a teammate before he unknowingly stepped backwards into a lane of traffic and the oncoming car. He was rushed to the hospital and was on life support for several days before he later died of his injuries in the hospital. It was quite a somber mood as we were awakened early that morning by a call from the other team van saying we needed to get up and meet at the next checkpoint where they were going to mass start everyone again. Our team was mostly silent as we met the other runners to restart the race after the road closure.

Some people thought the race should be called off, others were upset that their teams had been delayed. Even after the restart of the race, we all knew it could've been us who was hit, or that it could happen again at any time. That's why this relay can be so dangerous. But with that danger comes such exaltation, from not only the length of the race, but the camaraderie among the teams for what you've put yourself through. Together.

I could overhear people talking about the accident, and what had happened. I heard people say he's now in a better place. That it was his time. Personally, I think this is total bullshit. He was 18 years old, and a high school senior. He had A LOT of life left ahead of him. I think it's tragic that it was cut short, but disgusting that people push their ideals onto the situation. As a parent, I think it's horrible when a parent out-lives their child, and that this should never happen. My thoughts go out to his parents and family at this time, and I hope they remember him happy always. I can't imagine the grief and pain his family must be going through. I just wish people wouldn't turn it into their own theological pulpit.

Anyways, I think this song has been popping up in my mind because of recent events. I don't know that I'm still "as atheist" as I used to be. I know for a good long time, I didn't believe there was a god. I think there's many others that share my sentiment. I know I see things in different situations. I can't help think there's a higher power, whatever that higher power is, I think it's beyond what you or I can comprehend. But I see it in a sunrise. I hear it in a baby's coo. And I definitely feel it on a trailrun when I reach a peak and look at the world around me.

Anyways, thanks for listening.


~Danny

The Revolution Will Not Be Shod

I am starting this blog to chronicle my runs on roads, trails, in shoes, outta shoes, and even some other activities in which I partake in between runs. I am a huge advocate for barefoot running, because it works for me. I have heard the benefits of the activity, and been running in Vibram FiveFinger KSO's for about 9 months now. I've found they help my posture, improve my form, and actually make me a bit faster than "shod" (shoe) running. I think everybody should try running barefoot, it's an amazing and freeing feeling. But do your research first. Don't go out and run 8mi your first day in VFF or barefoot. Be smart. Also, I recommend reading "Born To Run" by Christopher Mcdougall. I have several other friends who are part of the barefoot running movement, so check out their thoughts, blogs, and sites. Most of all explore what works best for you personally. And have fun!