Saturday, February 7, 2009

Jack of All Trades

I don't want to be that guy who can't stay with one thing and has a new sport every couple of years. It is a pretty common thing in my family. Sorry Bre and Dad, but its true. I look back over the last couple of years and between soccer, mountain biking, and peak bagging I feel like I've bounced around a bit. Climbing doesn't count. It has been on one constant for more than 13 years now.
While soccer was mainly an opportunity to hang out with my brother and sister it was a sport a have grown to love. I would continue playing if I didn't have to drive 40 minutes to do so, pay $45 to play, and then show up just to play half of a game. Maybe as my life slows down in a couple of years it will be something I can start up again. As for now it has to be put on the very far back-burner.
I won't speak to mountain biking. Over the last many years it has been something I've just done when invited by someone else.
Peak bagging has been a hobby of mine for several years now and something I don't plan to quit any time soon.
Last year my wife started pushing me to jog as a means of keep my cardio up and staying healthy. She doesn't want me to have a heart attack. After pushing through the first excruciating weeks of miserable outings things got better and I really began to enjoy myself. Now running has turned into a full-grown passion. I am running 5 days a week, with a minimum workout of 4+ miles a day and long days above 6 miles. I have already booked my registration for my first 10k and plan to run a half marathon later this year.
All of this is in preparation for getting back in the mountains. This summer I plan to run 2 - 3 days a week in the mountains, linking peaks and hitting the trails. By next year I want to sign up for my first mountain race and maybe someday do an ultra-marathon, such as the Wasatch Back. I also have a goal to jog King's Peak with a longterm goal of getting the record for the Triple Crown, car to car (currently just over 13 hours).

What's my point? I want running to be a life-long activity. I have made an effort to surround myself with people who will motivate and inspire me. I really believe that I can be successful at this and continue doing it when I'm old.

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