After a LONG period of silence, both in running and blog writing, I am finally back with more resolve than ever and in pursuit to qualify for the Olympic Trials. A brief recap:
Yes, I have joined the United States Army. See posts below. Since entering Basic Combat Training, I have completed and attended several military schools including, Basic Combat Training, Officer Candidate School, Adjutant General Basic Officer Course, Ranger School (Did not complete), and finally Airborne School. "Quiting" Ranger School left a very sour taste in my mouth- shame on various levels, disappointment, anger and loss of self-worth. About a month after getting back home, I made a strong resolve to make up for the failure, to prove to myself that I have worth and can "be all I can be". At this point, I decided to do all that is necessary to face my fears and not shirk them. Perhaps that is what attempting Ranger School is all about, learning to face fear rather than run from it. Unfortunately, sometimes lessons are not learned until after deep reflection after being thrown into the refiners fire.
For the last 5 months I've been back to regular training. In those short months, I've trained very hard. I've had a very successful base building period. My body is currently responding well to 90-100 mile weeks with some fantastic workouts! Of recent to note from the last week and half:
Saturday- 22 Mile Foundation Run at 6:30 pace
Monday- 3x 2 Mile Repeats: 10:22; 10:12; 10:02
Wednesday- 13 Mile am, 13 Mile PM easy efforts
Saturday- 12 Mile Steady State Effort at 5:25 AVG pace (2:22 marathon pace)
The mileage is coming along well. My plan is to peak at somewhere around 110 miles/wk from mid-September to late early November, then taper for the California International Marathon. My goal time is 2:19-2:22. If I run this, I have a great shot at being accepting into the US Army World Class Athlete Program.
Below is my tentative racing schedule:
12 October- Army Ten Miler
12 November- Charlotte Half-Marathon
4 December- California International Marathon
I'm in the process of gathering a number of sponsors to assist me in my training and funding my races and travel. A website is coming as well. More to follow... Stay tuned for daily updates!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Two Days and Counting
As the day that I leave for Basic Training nears, actually only 2 days away, I've realized that I haven't really adequately explained to everyone why I'm joining the Army. I think my family and, especially my kids, when they are old enough to understand, deserve to know why this decision was made, because it affects everyone. As I've been thinking about how to best explain these reasons, I realized that I've already done it. After I signed my contract with the Army, I also had to interview with the commanding officers, which happened to be based in Portland. This was done via satellite conferencing technology. Prior to this interview it was mandatory for me to submit a one page document explaining why I wanted to be an officer in the Army. There are obvious external reasons and perks to joining the Army, such as money, education, student loan repayment, exceptional retirement plan, bonuses, tight knit communities, one stop shops, and the list goes on and on. But for me, all of those things are only appendages of a core reason, patriotism. Therefore, I will let the one page document which I wrote and submitted to "the board" of commanding officers explain myself:
"The United States of America was founded on a pure and conscientious constitution, inspired to establish peace and freedom from oppressive circumstances. For generations she has lent a strong arm to stand up for civility and decency, equality and respect. The United States Army has stood by her colors since its beginnings, and continues to stand by her now. Soldiers current and previous have stood by her colors, and I choose to stand by her now."
"I seek the rank of Officer in the United States Army because my country and her citizens deserve my service, including my heart, mind and strength. My citizenship in the United States of America has provided me the freedom to worship how I choose, equal opportunity to education and employment, and a nurturing environment in which to raise a family. These rights and freedoms are challenged daily by domineering governments and terrorist groups both foreign and domestic."
"As I have grown to adult maturity, I have seen many who carelessly consume the freedoms that our country provides, yet few who give back. On this day, I choose to give to my country. I choose to give back to the thousands of soldiers of the dust who gave their lives for me, my wife, and my children. I choose to give to America, which so desperately needs smart and level headed military leaders to respond effectively and appropriately when the order comes. I seek the rank of Officer because I have received so much and still have much to give."
I stand by this statement with honor, loyalty and respect for my county and its citizens. I still believe that our Army is in desperate need of quality soldiers with moral integrity and good judgment, perhaps more now than ever, especially when considering the recent Ft. Hood tragedy. Please pray for me while I'm away; but even more, pray for Courtney and the kids, that they will be watched over in my absence. I love you all!
"The United States of America was founded on a pure and conscientious constitution, inspired to establish peace and freedom from oppressive circumstances. For generations she has lent a strong arm to stand up for civility and decency, equality and respect. The United States Army has stood by her colors since its beginnings, and continues to stand by her now. Soldiers current and previous have stood by her colors, and I choose to stand by her now."
"I seek the rank of Officer in the United States Army because my country and her citizens deserve my service, including my heart, mind and strength. My citizenship in the United States of America has provided me the freedom to worship how I choose, equal opportunity to education and employment, and a nurturing environment in which to raise a family. These rights and freedoms are challenged daily by domineering governments and terrorist groups both foreign and domestic."
"As I have grown to adult maturity, I have seen many who carelessly consume the freedoms that our country provides, yet few who give back. On this day, I choose to give to my country. I choose to give back to the thousands of soldiers of the dust who gave their lives for me, my wife, and my children. I choose to give to America, which so desperately needs smart and level headed military leaders to respond effectively and appropriately when the order comes. I seek the rank of Officer because I have received so much and still have much to give."
I stand by this statement with honor, loyalty and respect for my county and its citizens. I still believe that our Army is in desperate need of quality soldiers with moral integrity and good judgment, perhaps more now than ever, especially when considering the recent Ft. Hood tragedy. Please pray for me while I'm away; but even more, pray for Courtney and the kids, that they will be watched over in my absence. I love you all!
Newport Marathon Recap
So, amidst the moving back to the mainland I misplaced my USB, on which I had saved the following description of the Newport Marathon. I wrote this about a week after the marathon, I think, so the experience was still pretty fresh in my mind and the soreness was still apparent as well. Sorry it’s so late. Better late than never.
My first marathon experience had its highs, and it had its lows. First, I have to shout a huge thank you to grandma and the cousins for watching the little ones so Courtney and I could have a fun time. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Though I did not train much at all during the three months preceding the marathon, it was a wonderful and fun experience.
We arrived at race headquarters to pick up my bib at around 4pm. We were somewhat unprepared for the weather because Corvallis was so hot when we left, we didn’t think it would be so cold! After checking in for the race, we checked into our little hotel room, which was an interesting experience. That lady that checked us in was not the friendliest lady around and it seemed as though the hotel lobby area was the last place on earth she wanted to be. We were hoping to go to the pool, but when we found out it was a salt water indoor pool, our first reaction was, “I’ve never heard of a salt water indoor pool.” The lady became really hostile and rude, which was quite random and weird. Plus, an indoor salt water pool is typically not what you want be swimming in the night before a marathon because of potential dehydration. (Short salt water soaks are great for recovery after a marathon though). After checking into the hotel we ate pizza and pasta at a really good place in Newport. I used to eat lunch there sometimes when I worked in Newport. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of my pre-marathon carbo-loading experience. We even splurged on some cheese cake, which was great too. The night before the marathon was mostly just relaxing in front of the TV. I actually slept much better than I thought I would.
The marathon started at 7am. They let the only wheelchair guy go first and then started the runners a few minutes after. The start was much more crowded than I thought it would be. I started out extremely slow, too slow, and therefore was stuck behind some snail pace runners. Courtney got a video of me putting out my arm and lightly nudging a guy next to me, requesting that he kindly let me by. I was starting to get a little stuffy being so close to so many people. After 200 meters, I finally got by and I was able to open up a little and caught up to the lead pack, which didn’t last long. Ended up sticking with them for about ½ mile, and then slowly faded from their view over the next several miles. Though I ran alone for majority of the first 8 miles, running between 5:30 and 5:40 a mile, I was feeling much better in the beginning of the race than I had thought I would. Occasionally, a guy or two would pass me and I’d try to hang with them for as long as I could, and then I’d slow down slightly and see them disappear ahead of me. That’s a discouraging feeling, especially when the women started passing me! At mile 8, I hit my first “mile twenty”. THIS IS BECAUSE I RAN THE FIRST 8 MILES WAY TOO FAST! Many professionals say the marathon doesn’t really start until mile 20 because you are extremely fatigued, and you are basically reaching the breaking point. This is what I experienced at mile eight. So much so that I had to slow down significantly due to a very sharp pain in my knee and cramping in my quads. At that point I thought my marathon was potentially over. The pain felt so bad that I actually stopped to stretch it and rest it. I did some light walking and jogging on it to see if it would relax. This happening 8 or 10 miles into a marathon is not good at all. In fact, many professionals in that situation just drop out at that point to avoid long term injury. But, I was determined to finish, that was my goal. I remember having a wide range of thoughts and attitudes throughout the race, some more positive than others; however, I learned a huge lesson. When my thoughts were positive I was able to regroup and have a better experience. After a few minutes of getting down about my knee pain, I made a decision that I wasn’t going to have a bad attitude. Instead, I decided to focus on my environment, not myself and my problems. I began to really take notice of the beauty of the course. Many courses are not so aesthetically pleasing, nor as flat! I determined to congratulate and build up those that were passing me instead of thinking negatively about them. I noticed that the more I applauded and encouraged others, the faster I started to run! I felt better about myself and my performance because I knew the marathon wasn’t just about me, but about everybody. In fact, this approach helped me so much that I started to run a fairly respectable race pace again. Miles 15-19 were run between 6:15 and 6:30, which is much better than I was doing for miles 9-14. But…shortly after finishing mile 19, I hit my second mile 20! Oh boy, this hit me like nothing before. In all the races I’ve done, I’ve never felt so physically helpless and alone. My quads, hamstrings, calves and back felt absolutely exhausted. My legs had lost their flexibility and strength, which made it very difficult to lift and stride out normally. I slowed to a pedestrian pace of 10:30/mile, which also turned into a stop-go routine until the finish. Those last 7 miles were very long and painful. But Courtney drove the truck little by little and cheered me on throughout those last miles. She got some good pictures and video, which are pretty funny to look at. At one point, close to mile 22, I became very worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish. Even walking was difficult. Then randomly out of the blue another runner came up and asked what was wrong. I told him I had horrible leg cramps. He said, “Oh man, I know how that is” and he asked if I wanted a salt tablet, which I desperately did. I knew that I had taken in plenty of fluids throughout the race to absorb it well, so I said “that would be very helpful”. He gave me one, said good luck and ran off. Well, it only took about 10 or 15 minutes for the salt tablet to work its magic. I was soon jogging 10 minutes a mile pretty much non-stop until the finish line. When I crossed the finish line I felt extremely cold because I wasn’t running fast enough to stay warm. When I was crossing the finish line the announcer said, “and here comes Jeremy Van Tress from…all the way from Honolulu Hawaii?! Wow, you’ve come a long way!” I was thinking to myself, “You have no idea!”
After I finished, walking through the finishing area was slow and difficult because I was so sore. Courtney found me and brought me a sweater and warm ups to keep me warm. She had to put them on for me while I was stretched out on the ground. She was a very holy messenger at that time! I was so thankful she was there for me. It reminded me how much I needed her in my life and grateful I am for all she does in our family. After I got some warm clothes on, I devoured some fresh fruit, crackers, chips and granola bars. At the time, it tasted like a five course meal!
Though this marathon was a tough road, I learned a lot from it. First, I learned that the satisfaction of pushing through the hard times is much deeper than the relief of quitting in your tracks. Second, I learned that a positive mind can change your heart, and increase your performance, no matter what challenges lie ahead. Third, I learned that life is less about me and more about US. What I mean is this: All those years of running, I used to think that winning a marathon would make me happy; however, what I have found is that the journey of helping others enjoy their experience exponentially heightens my experience. A positive word or two of encouragement, or a kind heartfelt gift or gesture, such as a tiny salt tablet, can go a long way, especially when enduring tough trials. This race taught me that it’s not about the sole winner; it’s about everyone winning in their own way.
My first marathon experience had its highs, and it had its lows. First, I have to shout a huge thank you to grandma and the cousins for watching the little ones so Courtney and I could have a fun time. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Though I did not train much at all during the three months preceding the marathon, it was a wonderful and fun experience.
We arrived at race headquarters to pick up my bib at around 4pm. We were somewhat unprepared for the weather because Corvallis was so hot when we left, we didn’t think it would be so cold! After checking in for the race, we checked into our little hotel room, which was an interesting experience. That lady that checked us in was not the friendliest lady around and it seemed as though the hotel lobby area was the last place on earth she wanted to be. We were hoping to go to the pool, but when we found out it was a salt water indoor pool, our first reaction was, “I’ve never heard of a salt water indoor pool.” The lady became really hostile and rude, which was quite random and weird. Plus, an indoor salt water pool is typically not what you want be swimming in the night before a marathon because of potential dehydration. (Short salt water soaks are great for recovery after a marathon though). After checking into the hotel we ate pizza and pasta at a really good place in Newport. I used to eat lunch there sometimes when I worked in Newport. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of my pre-marathon carbo-loading experience. We even splurged on some cheese cake, which was great too. The night before the marathon was mostly just relaxing in front of the TV. I actually slept much better than I thought I would.
The marathon started at 7am. They let the only wheelchair guy go first and then started the runners a few minutes after. The start was much more crowded than I thought it would be. I started out extremely slow, too slow, and therefore was stuck behind some snail pace runners. Courtney got a video of me putting out my arm and lightly nudging a guy next to me, requesting that he kindly let me by. I was starting to get a little stuffy being so close to so many people. After 200 meters, I finally got by and I was able to open up a little and caught up to the lead pack, which didn’t last long. Ended up sticking with them for about ½ mile, and then slowly faded from their view over the next several miles. Though I ran alone for majority of the first 8 miles, running between 5:30 and 5:40 a mile, I was feeling much better in the beginning of the race than I had thought I would. Occasionally, a guy or two would pass me and I’d try to hang with them for as long as I could, and then I’d slow down slightly and see them disappear ahead of me. That’s a discouraging feeling, especially when the women started passing me! At mile 8, I hit my first “mile twenty”. THIS IS BECAUSE I RAN THE FIRST 8 MILES WAY TOO FAST! Many professionals say the marathon doesn’t really start until mile 20 because you are extremely fatigued, and you are basically reaching the breaking point. This is what I experienced at mile eight. So much so that I had to slow down significantly due to a very sharp pain in my knee and cramping in my quads. At that point I thought my marathon was potentially over. The pain felt so bad that I actually stopped to stretch it and rest it. I did some light walking and jogging on it to see if it would relax. This happening 8 or 10 miles into a marathon is not good at all. In fact, many professionals in that situation just drop out at that point to avoid long term injury. But, I was determined to finish, that was my goal. I remember having a wide range of thoughts and attitudes throughout the race, some more positive than others; however, I learned a huge lesson. When my thoughts were positive I was able to regroup and have a better experience. After a few minutes of getting down about my knee pain, I made a decision that I wasn’t going to have a bad attitude. Instead, I decided to focus on my environment, not myself and my problems. I began to really take notice of the beauty of the course. Many courses are not so aesthetically pleasing, nor as flat! I determined to congratulate and build up those that were passing me instead of thinking negatively about them. I noticed that the more I applauded and encouraged others, the faster I started to run! I felt better about myself and my performance because I knew the marathon wasn’t just about me, but about everybody. In fact, this approach helped me so much that I started to run a fairly respectable race pace again. Miles 15-19 were run between 6:15 and 6:30, which is much better than I was doing for miles 9-14. But…shortly after finishing mile 19, I hit my second mile 20! Oh boy, this hit me like nothing before. In all the races I’ve done, I’ve never felt so physically helpless and alone. My quads, hamstrings, calves and back felt absolutely exhausted. My legs had lost their flexibility and strength, which made it very difficult to lift and stride out normally. I slowed to a pedestrian pace of 10:30/mile, which also turned into a stop-go routine until the finish. Those last 7 miles were very long and painful. But Courtney drove the truck little by little and cheered me on throughout those last miles. She got some good pictures and video, which are pretty funny to look at. At one point, close to mile 22, I became very worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish. Even walking was difficult. Then randomly out of the blue another runner came up and asked what was wrong. I told him I had horrible leg cramps. He said, “Oh man, I know how that is” and he asked if I wanted a salt tablet, which I desperately did. I knew that I had taken in plenty of fluids throughout the race to absorb it well, so I said “that would be very helpful”. He gave me one, said good luck and ran off. Well, it only took about 10 or 15 minutes for the salt tablet to work its magic. I was soon jogging 10 minutes a mile pretty much non-stop until the finish line. When I crossed the finish line I felt extremely cold because I wasn’t running fast enough to stay warm. When I was crossing the finish line the announcer said, “and here comes Jeremy Van Tress from…all the way from Honolulu Hawaii?! Wow, you’ve come a long way!” I was thinking to myself, “You have no idea!”
After I finished, walking through the finishing area was slow and difficult because I was so sore. Courtney found me and brought me a sweater and warm ups to keep me warm. She had to put them on for me while I was stretched out on the ground. She was a very holy messenger at that time! I was so thankful she was there for me. It reminded me how much I needed her in my life and grateful I am for all she does in our family. After I got some warm clothes on, I devoured some fresh fruit, crackers, chips and granola bars. At the time, it tasted like a five course meal!
Though this marathon was a tough road, I learned a lot from it. First, I learned that the satisfaction of pushing through the hard times is much deeper than the relief of quitting in your tracks. Second, I learned that a positive mind can change your heart, and increase your performance, no matter what challenges lie ahead. Third, I learned that life is less about me and more about US. What I mean is this: All those years of running, I used to think that winning a marathon would make me happy; however, what I have found is that the journey of helping others enjoy their experience exponentially heightens my experience. A positive word or two of encouragement, or a kind heartfelt gift or gesture, such as a tiny salt tablet, can go a long way, especially when enduring tough trials. This race taught me that it’s not about the sole winner; it’s about everyone winning in their own way.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hope Resurrected
The last three weeks of training, and life in general have been very rocky emotionally, spiritually and physically. Most people aren't aware that I have struggled with depression and chronic sleep disorder since adolescence. During the lowest periods, I try to tell myself I'll be okay, when I know I won't. My education suffers, work suffers, running suffers; but the most unfortunate victim is my sweet wife, who becomes a mother of three, instead of two. I am forever grateful for her patience and unyielding Christlike courage, which inspires me to face my demons, not run from them. I often feel the Lord's hand touch me through her love and constant faithfulness.
On February 8, after a series of fabulous workouts, "it" hit hard, without warning. I just didn't feel like running, eating, hydrating, or much of anything for that matter. My head hurt and my body ached. I didn't run for two weeks and I became anxious and paranoid that I was suffering from Rhabdomyolosis, an injury I contracted during my freshman year at BYU-Hawaii. Getting in and out of bed (my other paranoia) has always been a constant struggle, but during depression episodes, it seems to compound the problem.
Although life seems unbearable during the "low" periods of life, when I awake from my depressive sleep, I realize I've learned more about God's love for me, and my love for Him. He loves me! He is mindful of my situation and blesses me according to my faith to overcome. Again, I am reminded that I have overcome the battle, yet the war rages on. Peaceful relief comes over me and I feel as if I have finished the last mile of a long and painful workout; I'm happy I overcame the trial, but I thank God it's over! That's where I stand today, happy I overcame the battle; yet, I thank God it's over! Blessed horizons and familiar sunsets await! Until next time!
On February 8, after a series of fabulous workouts, "it" hit hard, without warning. I just didn't feel like running, eating, hydrating, or much of anything for that matter. My head hurt and my body ached. I didn't run for two weeks and I became anxious and paranoid that I was suffering from Rhabdomyolosis, an injury I contracted during my freshman year at BYU-Hawaii. Getting in and out of bed (my other paranoia) has always been a constant struggle, but during depression episodes, it seems to compound the problem.
Although life seems unbearable during the "low" periods of life, when I awake from my depressive sleep, I realize I've learned more about God's love for me, and my love for Him. He loves me! He is mindful of my situation and blesses me according to my faith to overcome. Again, I am reminded that I have overcome the battle, yet the war rages on. Peaceful relief comes over me and I feel as if I have finished the last mile of a long and painful workout; I'm happy I overcame the trial, but I thank God it's over! That's where I stand today, happy I overcame the battle; yet, I thank God it's over! Blessed horizons and familiar sunsets await! Until next time!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Runner's High
I love the feeling before, or during a run when a rush of adrenaline hits and you feel you're able to climb new heights and run another 20 miles. Sometimes the high doesn't last that long, but I have had times where it literally did last 20 miles. Those miles, I'll never forget, the satisfaction afterwords is deep and personal. Runner highs come and go, sometimes more frequent than others. In recent years, I can't say I've had them as often as I had them in high school; even while running at BYU-Hawaii I didn't have such adrenaline rushes as often. But, recently, I felt a familiar feeling, and some would even call it a familiar physiological voice, saying "Go, just go!" My first runner's high in a long time. It was great! I didn't move with it quite as much as I could've because I had already put in a tough workout earlier that morning and didn't want to over train, but I did move with it for a good 30 minutes or so. As in times past, 6 minute mile pace felt like a jog in the park-synergistic and exhilerating. Not only is this a good sign that my body is responding well to training, but it also shows my heart and mind are in it for the long haul. Last night I registered for the Newport Marathon and bought all our plane tickets out to Oregon. There's no backing out now. It's either do it, or get hurt trying!
Daddy Daughter Time
Courtney left for her brother's wedding on December 29 until January 7. This gave Lucy and I plenty of time to have lots of fun. We went to the Children's Discovery Center, which she loved. While at the center, she was able to run around as much as she wanted, play with an innumerable amount of toys, displays and of course, "friends". For the New Year, Lucy and I had fun with sparkers and then went try to find other fireworks we could watch. Lucy fell asleep while walking in the stroller. Her New Year's Eve was pretty short. While Mom was away, Dad also let her watch many Christmas movies over, and over, and over again. You know you've watched way too many Christmas movies when you're singing, "One foot in front of the other, and soon you are walking cross the flo-o-o-or" and so on (Santa Clause is Coming to Town: The Original Christmas Classics). After only a few days, Lucy and I were able to quote pretty much every single line of every Christmas movie we own. We just didn't want to let the Christmas spirit go, nor did we want to catch "the blues". Well, Lucy and I did do some things that didn't involve T.V. We went on Daddy-daughter stroller runs every day! While my arms didn't like it so much, Lucy loved it! She said some unforgettable one liners like, "Faster Daddy, Faster"; or "He's a boy, I'm a girl" as a man rode his bike past us; and then there's "Castles Daddy, look at the pretty castles!" as we ran through the picturesque roads of University of Hawaii at Manoa. After one of our stroller runs through Ala Moana Beach Park, Lucy and I went to the beach. She had fun burying her legs in the sand and playing in the water. Many good memories were made. I've even decided to make stroller time an on-going tradition. One of my runs each week will be with the kiddos in the stroller so these fond memories will continue. My time with Lucy was lots of fun and peaceful, but is was sure nice to get Mom and Willie back too. Without them, life was just not complete.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Newport Marathon Coming Soon
After much debate and struggle within, I've decided to commit to run the Newport Marathon on May 30, 2009. I was debating between the Newport Marathon and the Honolulu Marathon. The attractive thing about the Honolulu Marathon is that it's here, where I currently live in Honolulu. I could run at least parts of the course pretty much daily if I wanted to and there would be a couple of good solid packs of runners to race with. The only downside-it's on Sunday, hence the inner struggle. I have long since committed to not race on Sundays. I tried to talk myself into racing Honolulu because it's "so early in the morning and I'll finish before the sun is even up." But, I've decided I cannot accept this rationale, and therefore must resort to a different day at a different venue. I've been very interested in running the Newport Marathon for a long time, since 2006 really. The course is flat, fast and the weather is usually quite reasonable. There are only two downsides to Newport. The first is the level of competition. If you want to run a 2:35-3:00 hour marathon, the competition is great. But if you are looking to run sub 2:20, the Newport Marathon does not grant that. But, the winner of last year's race ran 2:22:47, which shows it is fast and that it can be done. I hope he runs again this year. The other downside to Newport is that it is so soon! Honolulu would've given me a year to get ready, whereas Newport only allots me 5 months or so. So, this may mean that I will have to race it this year, not being completely fit, and then race it again in 2010 when I'm more fit and go for a sub 2:19. I guess a third downside to Newport is the $$$!. If I were to race Honolulu, I could possibly take a top 5 finish, and earn some prize money, which would pay for a trip to the Boston Marathon. Newport does not offer a large prize purse and I have to pay to fly to the race. After thinking about it these factors, I realized that Honolulu just wouldn't work for me because I'd be second guessing myself the whole time, which wouldn't help me to a good finish anyway. This means Newport it must be. I am excited about Newport though. For one thing, my wife was born and raised in Corvallis, just 1 hour away and we can visit with lots of family. I worked in Newport for about 10 months just after graduating from my BSW so it will be neat to go there again. My training will have to be condensed but, I still hope to have a decent showing. Another great thing is that I graduate on May 16, which gives me plenty of time to vacation in Oregon and do some tune up workouts on the course. So, Newport Marathon, here I come!
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