40 Is Here

40 is here
Well not just another year, but how about making it this far to say my 40th Birthday! It really seems unusual only in the aspect that I honestly do not feel like I am 40. I remember being in my twenties and looking at my teachers and career minded folks as being old, now I am actually one of them... I guess anyways in the respect that I'm kind of settled and have been working on my career for 10 years now by being with the same company for all of that. 39 is closing out with my stamp of approval. I've been incredibly fortunate to have so many great people that have been with me and helped me obtain my goals and dreams. This last twelve months have been terrific. I've sustained my health while improving my training endurance and spent great times with family and friends alll around. We've honed our Guitar Hero skills (though somehow Tom n Jan can still beat me in Wii Bowling!), kicked off a couple of race PR's, watched our two babies Riley n Maggey growing up, and even managed to do a room remodel at our home to create the 'High Roller Suite'(actually just our working office but it was a blast remodel that Leslie, Jan, Tom and myself all had a great time working on). Another great highlight of the year was that Leslie and I became aunt and uncle to Dylan. Dylan is a new Service dog that was just partnered to a friend of ours in a wheelchair, and we were fortunate enough to help sponsor Dylan making this partnership possible.

I think the biggest thing for me at this point is the realization that you are what you make of it. Since I'm having a lot of fun in my life, and since I don't feel anything like what the perception is of 40, I'm just gonna keep doing everything that keeps me feeling like 30 (now that was a scary one to hit). Which also means if I'm gonna be 40 but act and look as good as 30 then I have to keep on running. Not just a few miles here or there but put in something real.

With getting a little older also comes more frequent health inspections, so last year I went for the full physical and actually came through with results that posted me healthier now than I was 20 years ago! My secret is to be around people you like, make you laugh and have supportive surroundings, and a very great wife; Of course eating right and exercising might have something small to do with it also. Now that I'm going into this new decade with a clean bill of health from the doc it's time to see what's crossed off that 99 list and what to do next.

A quick race recap was that last year I wanted to do all the races I normally do and the Big goal of Becoming an "Ironman".. Checked! Onto the new year I not only get to race in a new division for 40-49 year olds I will also be right in the average age of 100 Mile finishers. Agahst you say..."100 miles, what ever do you mean?". It's true that people can and do run 100 miles for a single race. Along with all my standard distance races this year already scheduled (50 Miles and below races) my BIG goal is to succesfully run 100 Miles within 24 hours, which I am scheduled to attempt in San Francisco this October, anyone want to pace me :)
Look at it this way, for anyone to even contemplate this is either Crazy or Ultrarunner healthy... I like to think a little of both in my case.

I leave 39 with this final shout "Hey 40's give it your best shot I'm ready for another awesome decade!"

Happy Trails out there,
Joey