It’s been a bit since my last post and it’s not because I didn’t want to post--it’s because I got hit by a car while riding my bike and we needed to see if my injuries were going to be permanent for legal reasons. It was pretty scary at first because I was really beat up. After a bunch of trips to the doctor and lots of rest and proper nutrition, I got the “ok” to resume physical activity last week.
This setback could have been much more serious and it’s an important reminder of how precious life is--things can change in an instant. This has brought my girlfriend, Marie, and I even closer in the past weeks as she was there for me when I needed her most.
Marie’s friends Rebekah, Mindy and Meg have volunteered to be my crew team for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run on June 7-8. We all met in Cuyamaca State Park last Saturday and this Saturday to run sections of the race course together and discussed our race strategy. They’ve run 8 ultra marathons between them and crewed for Active Expert Joe Decker in last year’s race so they have a solid base of experience.
I’m starting to get excited as the race is less than 100 days away. My base fitness level is solid so I’ll be introducing some more challenging distances and terrain in the near future. Much of my confidence at this stage comes from knowing I have such an awesome crew team organized already. They will be my brain during the race. When it comes to running for 24-31 hours without stopping, I need to be concerned with as little as possible besides placing one foot in front of the other. They will be meeting me at check points throughout the race, feeding me, making sure I switch my shoes and socks and most importantly, taking turns pacing me from mile 50 to 100. This stretch takes place through the night and into the next day, when things get “interesting.”
Your continued support here in the Active Community is very much appreciated as well. I can’t begin to tell you how helpful it’s been for me to interact with you all on a regular basis. On Monday, I’m always excited to come back into the office and check in with you guys, to read your stories and to share mine. Thank you all. Your friend, ~Toby
