Friends -
I have done a lot of soul-searching over the last few months. Although running is important to me, a runner is not who I am; I am a father, a husband, a Christian, a person who wandering through this journey of life is fortunate enough to have a loving partner and a wonderful family to be a part of the the adventure. The upsets and the joys are not what makes us who we are, but how we deal with those things. How fast we bounce back; how quick we recover.
Like a long-distance run, whatever life throws at me I am going to make a honest and real attempt to turn it into something great - turn them into growing experiences.
In April, I returned to Pekin, IL to compete at the 150 mile trail distance again. The following is a link to a newscast regarding this race. I ended up dropping out at mile 70. I could provide a laundry list of why, but the bottom-line is I just didn't want to finish. I just didn't feel the outcome was worth the effort. This DNF made me begin to question why I run.
In June, I toed the line with 200 plus other runners at the Kettle Moraine 100 Miler. I ended up finishing 7th overall and the first Wisconsinite at our hometown 100 Miler. Finishing first in my age group and having the endurance to pass 4 runners in the last 6 miles certainly made me feel good. But again, does not make me the person I am. Life's an adventure and I'm trying to make the most of each and everyday...enjoying running but not living for it.
My next running adventure will be running with my friend Randy Steiner at the Dances with Dirt 50 Miler in Devil's Lake, WI next weekend. Randy has helped me at many of my races and it will be a pleasure to help him achieve his goal.
My Family
My Lovely Wife Christina & Sons: Chase, Cruz, & Dash Dexter
