Shooting From The Hip: Conquering My First 50K - The Pistol Ultra

I drank the ultra koolaid, and I LOVED it!

On Saturday (Jan. 3), I conquered my first 50K at the Pistol Ultra in Alcoa, Tenn. And to be quite honest, I'm struggling on writing this post as I can't seem to find all the words to describe what an amazing journey this was.

Words that come to mind when thinking about my experience include: fun, challenging, painful, exhilarating, amazing, mind-blowing, and a party.

Heading into this race, I truly did not know what to expect. I really did not have this race on my radar. Sure, I had thought about running it 3-4 months ago, but I let the idea slide as I focused on my marathon which was on Oct. 25. Then after my rough experience at the Spinx Carolina Marathon, I told myself I wanted to take a break from the long distances for a while. Nothing past 13.1 miles for at least the next six months is what I promised I hold myself to.

I even told my lovely bride that I wasn't going to run a marathon until at least late in 2015 or early 2016. (Technically, I didn't lie.)

But as I noted in a recent post, my friend Chris was trying to get his running mojo back and thought running the Pistol Ultra 50K would do the trick. Consequently, he asked me to join him in the fun.

2014 - My Year In Running

Running is gift. Enjoy it.

We've reached that point in the calendar when we look back on the past 365 days.

To say 2014 was a roller coaster would be an understatement. There were plenty of highs mixed with a number of lows.

Here were my goals for 2014:

• Sub-4:35 marathon
• Run an ultramarathon
• Sub-2 half marathon
• Post a 200-mile month
• Run 1,800 miles for the year

Guess how many I accomplished? None. Nada. A big-fat goose egg.

Does that mean the year was a waste or not a success? Absolutely not.

Changing Things Up From The Original Plan

Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans. When this happens, all we can do is reassess, adjust and move forward.

No need to get bitter or upset over it for I don't see a goal denied as the end of the road. For me, a goal denied is merely a goal delayed. Just because I won't be accomplish something right now does not me I won't be able to compete the task somewhere on down the road.

All year I had been saying 2014 was the year I'd become an ultra marathoner. I even went as far as finding a race to get baptized into the ultra world: the Triple Lakes Race - a 40-miler in Greensboro, N.C., in October.

Yet, after number of changes in my life, I am having to put this dream on hold. With my new job and unsure what all it will entail and encompass, I wasn't sure I'd be able to train properly for this race. Also, the 40-miler is a trail race, and I usually can't get on the trails around here until October and November.

But have no fear, I have a race all lined up.

Looking Forward To Big Things In 2014

Not going to lie, I've really struggled with what my goals for the new year would be.

If you remember back to November, I shared with you how at a loss I am in this. And really, here on Jan. 3, I still am in a bit of wonder.

I've had some lofty goals in the past. Well, lofty for me. Some I've reached. Some it took me a while to accomplish. Some I need to work on. While I love running and want to run every day, I still need goals to keep me motivated.

"Motivated for what?" you ask.

Motivated for life.