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Showing posts from May, 2013

Hanging gardens

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I really, really like to create. Sometimes it's because I have an adventurous side. Other times, it's because I'm cheap. But most of the time, it's a little bit of both. Last year I put in a raised bed for a few vegetables. This year, after laying in bed and contemplating a number of ideas, I took myself to the local Lowes and started looking around for unique building materials. The Honda Civic station wagon with 224,000 + miles became loaded down with a treated and way-too heavy 4 x 4s, 2 x 4s, rain gutters, rope, and an assortment of hooks, fasteners, and brackets. Oh, and six bags of concrete mix, 40 pounds each. Once home, it was hole-digging and post-planting time. One thing lead to another and before long (and with assistance only to help set the overhead beams), my hanging gardens of Bedford County took shape. Now, I am eagerly waiting the first harvest. Thought you might like to see the project in progress.

Coming soon: FREE copies of BEST SEASON YET

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MARK YOU CALENDERS! The following days have been set to offer you a free Kindle copy of "Best Season Yet: 12 Weeks to Train." Even if you don;t have a Kindle, just download the free Kindle app for your Android or PC and presto, you have a new book to read! Please Tweet, email, and Facebook about these free offerings! Coach's Edition: May 24, June 1, June 8 Athlete's Edition: May 26, May 29, June 2, June 7 To claim your free copy, please visit Amazon and select the book. Happy reading!

The Lioness

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Rebekah with Micah Brickhill Every so often, an athlete comes along who defies the odds. She is focused and driven. She exceeds expectations. And she takes it all in stride. Micah Brickhill won three state titles yesterday in the VISAA (Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association). Last week she qualified for Nationals by running a blazing 2:12 for 800 meters. A few weeks ago, she entered a college meet and won the 800, defeating the Big South 1600 meter champion. A month or two before that, she signed her letter of intent to run for the University of Virginia this fall. And prior to that, in fact, a few  years prior, Coach Ramsey Moore suggested to the young athlete that one day she could be a champion. She believed it and then lived to become it. I met Micah three years ago when I began coaching the distance runners at LCA. I was not her primary coach but I was drawn to the blond-headed girl who ran with her french braid cascading down her back. She was special. Perhap

Yowza! This is gonna hurt!

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An Excerpt from " Best Season Yet: 12 Week to Train " Sometimes suffering is inevitable. Sometimes it’s a choice. Ultrarunners choose to suffer every time they step to the starting line of a long race. They know it’s going to hurt. They just don’t know how badly. Whether it’s a race, soccer or lacrosse game, or tennis match, your all-out effort may shove you to the brink of your physical limits. Or the mental pressure may be so unsettling that your stomach revolts in violent protest: you puke. But you must press on. You must choose to suffer. Thinking about an upcoming one hundred-mile race, the athlete knows what’s coming. In the first few hours, he’ll settle in, trying to face the long path ahead. Somewhere along the way, his foot will begin to hurt or a painful blister will develop. He’ll fight a constant battle to take in—and keep down—sufficient calories and fluid. His eyes will droop from sleep deprivation, his quads rebelling while his back thro