I am beside myself

"I am beside myself" -  Such a weird idiom. What does it mean? confused? angry? worried?
In my case it means excited. This phrase came to my mind today when thinking of what is upcoming. At the end of this week I am heading out west to the land of the Pines. California! The state with the most species of pine trees. Who knew?
But  what has me Excited is that I will be crewing and pacing at the Angeles Crest 100 mile trail run. And Pacing a very good friend. When Lalo asked me to go out with him and his wife Amanda to support him on his first hundred miler, not only was I flattered but a feeling of concern came over me. A 100 mile run is not an easy feat. My concern must be attributed to the old man in me. I am concerned about those I love. Lalo is well prepared though. So I must be too.
I will be pacing him on a trail I am not familiar with. This is not something new. I've been on many different and unfamiliar trails before. I am ready to take it on! I am excited about this adventure, running with Lalo on new trails, through the woods, in the mountains, at night! That's what has me beside myself. I am next to me, staring and thinking, " Dang! you're IN man! You are going to have a wonderful and unique experience! I can't wait to get back inside you and go for the ride."

Stay active. All your life! You can and should take a day off now and then though.

It's amazing what a day of rest can do!
I was feeling great on an easy trail run this morning. My body felt calm and relaxed.
Two days ago I planned to run 4 hours and invited Lalo to accompany me. Due to work he could only run for three hours though.We ran two and a half. Due to my fatigue. It was 100 degrees at 5 PM when we began but it was my legs that were the issue. After 5 miles they felt like huge tree trunks. Must have been the week of running and boot camp squats and lunges. The boot camps have been beneficial to my uphill running. I go all out at these boot camps but I have to remember to take it easy on the next day's workout or take a day off. I've got to keep going though. We all do. All our lives There is no time or age to stop being active.
At 63 years old my brother Andy just completed the "Possum Pedal" 30 mile bicycle ride in and around Possum Kingdom Lake. He has called me often to recount his experience since the event two weeks ago. Andy had laid off of riding for a few years but this year he set out to get back on the bike and ride again. His co-workers thought he was crazy. His boss warned him that there were many projects to complete and he was needed. Andy related all this to me and we laughed. What do they think? That we reach an age when we can't or shouldn't be active anymore? Nothing can be further from the truth in our thinking. Andy would call me and recount all his training rides and how he was not sore as he increased his mileage. We attributed that to his staying active in other activities like golfing, walking and going to the fitness center now and then. Also, his muscles had been trained for bicycling over many years. Andy has always been active. Running, playing tennis, and rode a bicycle for over 20 years. I rode with him on a regular basis for about 10 of those. We've been on our bicycles over roads and trails all over Texas.
We can all do what Andy did. At any age. Recently at a 10K road race where I volunteered a runner came through the finish line yelling out 76! 76! His age. On a four miler July 4th, I ran the last mile with a 74 year old Lady!
After the Possum Pedal Andy's wife said it is amazing that someone his age can do as much as he does physically. Amazing? Maybe.
How Andy's co-workers reacted to his intentions to ride a bicycle 30 miles worries me about the future of many americans. Many think that as we grow old we have to stop being active. That we can't run, bike, jump, Play! With the obesity epidemic getting worse this is not good. And now that obesity has been named a disease more people will give up even sooner in life.
I know a bit about being obese. My paternal Great grand mother was obese. My Dad struggled with his weight all his life. He inherited my great grand mothers physique. "The Maldonado curse" as a cousin dubbed it. We all have a trace of it. We are susceptible to a low bulging belly. My Dad took steps to manage his health and also to control and reduce his weight. Two of his siblings were overweight and died in their forties from complications of diabetes. All though no one would ever call him slim, Dad did lose and control his weight in his sixties and seventies. Diabetes crept up on him so he started walking everyday. Diabetes stayed away after that.
Dad proved we can make changes in our lives and we don't have to accept the conditions and illnesses we are predisposed to. And that we can become active at any age. He told me not to wait for disease to creep up on you but to stay active so disease will not catch you. Exercise has also been proven to be the best activity to keeping Alzheimer's at bay!
Take a day off now and then though. But don't forget to get back at it.

What are you training for?

This is a question most runners hear, or ask. I am always tempted to respond by saying, "life! I am training for life."
Lately though I have been saying I am training to pace Lalo at The Angeles Crest 100 mile trail run.
Pacing  is one of the most rewarding experiences a runner can have. And it's one I take very seriously. Not only do I feel I need to train physically but I also need to train mentally. I sometimes feel pressure. Pressure I place on myself. I have to be at my best to provide the best support possible. Sure, at the late stages of an Ultra when I will be called to action, my runner will be tired and maybe moving slower but I have to be ready for anything.  My runner will be depending on me to help him stay engaged, to keep moving, to provide motivation and I feel I may have to be tough but still remain his friend throughout and at the end.
Physically, I must be fit enough to run, walk, climb, and be ready for any weather conditions that may exist.
Mentally, I need to be ready to give and take  (mostly take) verbal stabs while still keeping my runner focused on reeling in the finish line.
Many of my favorite and most memorable running experiences have been when I have paced and have been paced in the later stages of an Ultra Marathon.
While being paced I have had to provide a flashlight to my pacer! Her's was a dime store model with dead batteries. It was laughable but she was my friend and she asked to be there! Good thing I had an extra flashlight in my pack. Other pacers of mine were patient as I struggled to walk, pointing out constellations in the star filled sky, not complaining when I arrived later than projected at the aid station. There was another I wanted to punch in the mouth because he kept trying to push me to run when I didn't want to. I didn't say a word when his stride ahead of me began to speak. I locked my sight on his feet and he took me to my best finish at 100K.
Memories I have of pacing friends in ultras play in my mind frequently. When I see them or when I run on trails we've run. These are memories like no other. I feel there is a special bond that lives on between runner and pacer well after the race is over. While pacing you may laugh and cry with your runner. Share thoughts, life experiences and sometimes secrets. Accompanying an ultra runner late in their race is a unique experience. All runners are different. That is what makes every experience unique and all of them memorable. That's what makes life enjoyable, doesn't it? Making good memories.
So much is shared between runner and pacer on ultras. Some things can be laughed at and told to others. Some will forever remain between a pacer and his or her runner.
I've made mistakes while pacing. Almost took my runner off course. Were it not for a camper at a trail junction pointing out that I was going the wrong way I would have royally screwed up my runners race. Forgetting supplies my runner asked me to carry (muling is allowed at some races), not allowing my runner to put on a jacket when it was getting cold, not filling my runners water bottle at an aid station! I sometimes still cringe at what could have happened but all turned out well and we're still friends. I've been dropped by my runner! I have done some positive things pacing too though.
I am looking forward to pacing Lalo. I can't wait. He is unique and genuine. I've never been with him at mile 70 though. I know it will be an experience that will live in my memory forever. All pacing experiences are.
I have to keep training. For pacing, for a race that may come up, for Lalo, ..... for life.