crutch

Considering having major foot surgery or being on crutches anytime soon? Here are some helpful tips to help you endure

1) Do not even think about going to get a coffee. You will not be able to carry if from the counter or throw away the cup when you are done. When you make coffee at home keep a chair next to machine so you can sit with your leg up while it brews and while you drink it.
2) Padded cycling gloves are your friend. you also need a backpack.
3) It's hard to shower with a cast on. It's even harder to shave your one good leg so start practicing your balancing skills ahead of time.
4) The granny carts at walmart go way faster than the ones at the grocery store. Leave your crutches at customer service while you get your groceries. if you leave them in the cart you will likely knock over entire displays and not be much help cleaning up. As if driving the granny cart isn't embarrassing enough.
5) Airline travel is actually not too bad when you get a wheelchair. Just be ready for a nice THOROUGH pat down at security. Checking your bag is a must and make sure someone is there to get it off the conveyor belt upon arrival.
6) Buy a million books before the surgery. You will have extra time and you will run out. Going to the bookstore is incredibly frustrating. You cant put the books in the backpack because they will think you are stealing. Good luck trying to carry them to the counter to check out.
7) Take the time to realize how lucky you are. Your cast is coming off and you will be able to walk again. So many people have to deal with these obstacles for life.

Has Anyone Seen My Mojo?

You know the song, Have You Ever Had to Make Up Your Mind? You know...

Did you ever have to make up your mind
Pick up on one and leave the other behind
It's not often easy and not often kind
Did you ever have to make up your miiiiind....

And lalala. Yes, that's like the theme song to basically my whole life. But just that one verse, the rest of the song is about some girl and I just don't really roll that way. I'll sing it for you if you ask me to. But anyhow, all this is to say that I'm a notoriously terrible decision maker, and when faced with more than one option, no matter how trivial, I have great difficulty in coming to a satisfactory decision. Thankfully, regarding running decisions there aren't too many things that'll result in life or death so maybe I shouldn't make so much out of everything and JUST DO IT. But it's like my dad tells me, better to have lots of options than none...

My present delimma is what race to do next. I'd really like to get my running Mojo back this year, it disappeared about this time a year ago. I think it fell out of my pocket, over the bridge, and into the river on the finishing stretch of Gate River last year. Everything I do right now is geared toward finding my missing Mojo. Please note that this is an entirely different sort of Mojo than that with which Austin Powers struggled with.

Training's been going relatively well lately and has been fueled with the realization that in future years, barring some sort of catastrophe, I will never forgo U.S. Cross again no matter how woefully underprepared I think I am. But I digress, next on the docket is either A)The U.S. 15k Champs--aka the Gate River Run, aka one of the most kickass races ever directed by one of the most kickass race directors ever (yeeeeahhh Richard Fannin!), or B)The Running of the Green 7k--a local race out in Lodo that attracts a good-sized crowd, is lower key, but perhaps more condicive to Mojo recovery at this particular time considering what's to come later this spring...we will see. It would probably be better if I just didn't think anything through and just pick a race about 2 days before it happens. Actually it would probably be best if I just got a frontal lobotomy.

Happy Valentine's day to all! May you recieve chocolate in abundance. Now if you will excuse me I have a hot date with a stationary bike.

Oh, and a special shout-out to Tommy for his completion of the FartLick! That workout sounds like a real doozy.

It's been a while...

Hey all! It's been about 8 or 10 months since i last posted and I'm blaming it on a mix between a bad year & a lack of motivation. Part of the motivation would help to hear what you have to say and the other part is i really need to get some good races in. I built up for Chicago Marathon for last fall and blew butt there. Then I kind of lost my running motivation for the rest of the fall. I kept running know that it would come back, but not the typical big miles that I had been doing before Chicago Marathon. I'm am now almost fully back mentally and ready to rock this year out!

I have Gate River Run 15k coming up... which I haven't booked my ticket yet... $$$ scary! And I am also planning on race the 10k at Penn Relays, well if i can get in. If by then i feel really fit i'm going to find a half marathon within 2 to 3 weeks and hope in it.

As of right now i'm pretty fit, but not a sure high fitness. By that weird statement I mean I've been doing a lot of fartlick stuff, but not a lot of repeat stuff yet. I'm back up to 100 to 110 miles a week and doing long tempo's mix with my long runs, 5 mile tempo(5.06avg.), and last week I hoped in with my roommates at the Air Force indoor track and did a light 1mile(4.57) 1200 (67s), 800 (65s), 400(60), 200 (28) and 100 (14). So I'm starting to feel a little better about where i'm at and the biggest news was I wore spikes and best part was I was not sore at all. I feel thats the sign that i'm getting pretty fit when i do have lactic acid build up!!! Another big workout week ahead... i'm going to do something between 1k's up to 1mile repeats. That will give me a better idea of where i'm at.

Thanks for your support and let me know what your thinking!!!

Tommy OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long Overdue First Post Here

I wanted to start off with a little intro since this my first post here at the BRC/Adidas Blog. My name is Jesse Chettle and I have been on the team for about a year and a half. I am originally from Kansas City, MO but I currently live in Gunnison, CO and train there with BRC teammates Scott Dahlberg and Paul Michel. In college I ran for Johnson County Community College in Kansas before transferring to Western State College where I ran for 3 years. Currently I am still involved with the WSC team as part of the coaching staff along with my training buddies Paul and Scott. Go Mountaineers!

On the BRC team we have a very wide range in regards to what events and races we are focused on ranging from a guy like Jason Delaney whose focus is on marathons (he qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials) all the way down to Paul Michel who is focusing primarily on the mile this track season. I fall somewhere in between with my focus and interest being primarily on the track in events ranging from the 1500m all the way up to the 10k.

For the past few years I have been quite disappointed with my results and lack of improvement despite training very hard. However, last year I finally had a bit of a breakthrough and set some new PRs for the first time since my senior year in college. This little taste of success has helped cause me to be more motivated than ever. Unfortunately though currently I am running very little as I have been down and out with the first significant injury of my running career. I got hurt back in early September at the conclusion of the biggest base mileage build up phase of my life and the injury hasn't yet healed fully (more detail to come in my next post). I'm hoping to try to start running again here soon and have my fingers crossed that I will be pain free and can still make something of this track season but that's a big 'if' at this point.

Being injured is no fun at all so when you hit the roads (or trails) for your run over the next few days, weeks, or months remember not to take your health for granted but rather appreciate everyday that you are able to run.