Thoughts Beyond Running

So obviously its important that I should be thinking about what I'm going to do once this little experiment with semi-professional running is over.  And, I have been thinking about it, pretty extensively, and it's something that weighs on me pretty heavily, because I know I can't do this forever. I definitely can't work 2 part time jobs for the rest of my life, and one day I need to step into full-time work.

The question is, what do I do?

Right now, that question seems pretty baffling to me, and maybe its baffling to other runners, or even non-runners in the situation.  The "Post college, 2 part time jobs, what the hell am I doing with my life" situation.  I'm sure there are people out there who can sympathize with this sentiment.

I'm 23, which is young, but not super young.  And by the time this experiment is over I could be 27, which is well beyond the realm of super young and getting closer and closer to "no longer that young at all, you need to get your shit together man".

Still, the question of what should I do persists.  I'm always open to suggestions, feel free to comment!

A big part of me wants to continue working in the running community.  I've enjoyed working in running specialty, and i think I would like to continue with the sport.  Ideally I think my dream job in the running industry would be to work for a company, and specifically working with athletes that the company sponsors, and help people get sponsorships, and aid to continue their careers.

This is something very near and dear to my heart, because I see athletes every day who deserve to get help, who are talented enough and accomplished enough to get help, but they can't.  I think a restructuring of the system can be done to maximize the amount of athletes that could be helped without bleeding the companies dry of resources.

I have ideas, I have a lot of ideas.  And I want to help athletes, and help promote the sport and to help it grow in popularity, not just as an activity, but as a sport that people outside of the running community care about and want to see.  I'll expand on some of these ideas in another post.

So what else do I want to do?  I've always wanted to work in government, whether it be local, state, or beyond.  I think that it would be awesome to be involved in a process that affects so many people
s lives everyday.  I'd like to think that I would be helping people, and helping the process.  I believe in government, I always have.  And I think it would be incredibly fulfilling to be a cog in the wheel of propelling our country forward on a daily basis.

Just some thoughts, gonna go do my long run now.  Hope everyone has a fantastic Sunday!!

Nick Hilton: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner (who cares about his future, and wants to make an impact in the world)

Long Delay

Welp, Sorry about the long delay, sometimes I get distracted and the blog goes a bit to the wayside, so I'll update you on the news!

First, The Emerald Nuts Midnight Run.  Not what it could have been, for several reasons I believe. 
 1.) Like an idiot, I ran a race the day before, harder than I should have.  In my defense it was in support of the Berks County Cross Country Coaches Association, but I definitely shouldn't have ran it as hard as I did.  (Thanks for that one Timmy Getz!)
2.) I allowed myself to get out of my routine when I was at home and wasn't as disciplined about several things as I had been when I was in Flag, so I believe that had a negative impact as well.

But, Oh well, Its in the past and now its time to move on to track season!!

Links to Emerald Nut Results here ---> http://web2.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/aes-programs/results/startup.html?result.id=b21231&result.year=2012


Track Season! My excitement for this season is practically unbridled.  Its been almost 2 years now since I've had a proper track season, so its time to get down and dirty and do some real racing!  On the winter schedule are two 3ks.  

The first will be on 2/2 at the NAU Mountain T's Open at the famous NAU skydome.  Should be an interesting one considering that it will be at 7000 feet!  Hoping to run 8:30 or under, which is gonna hurt like hell, but who would have it any other way?

The second will be the following week (2/9) at the Boston University Valentines Invitational.  That will be the big daddy as I hope to break 8:10, and ideally run close to the USA Indoor Championship standard of 8:03.  That's a track I'm very comfortable on, that always has good competition, so it should bode well for a good performance. 

Training wise, I'm just getting over a pretty brutal cold, so things should be consistent and solid the next few weeks as I begin to really prepare in earnest for the Oval. 

I have high hope for March, April, and May as those 3 months will decide how this season will play out.  I need to be super fit and ready for the races in late April and early May so I can get the standard for this years USATF Championships. Sub 8:40 is the baseline goal for the season, but I like to dream pretty big, and would love to be under the World Championships 'B' Standard of 8:32.   So training goes on to achieve that goal.

Thanks for all the support!

Nick Hilton: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

P.S. Below I'll post a few recent pics of some fun outings with MansionMates!
The Mansion Crew at the Grand Canyon

Looking for a good path up Bell Rock in Sedona
Checking out on hell of a view

Scaling the side of Bell Rock, in Sedona


Passed out on floor after some core

Back In Flag

So here I am, after a week of the east coast, back in Flagstaff, and as always with leaving home, it comes with mixed emotions.  The new year didn't start great, there's no glory, no girl, and too much gluten (don't worry, just a temporary lack of will power, consider the gluten gone once again).

I've been spending a lot of time in my head lately, (not always a good thing, I know) just thinking about what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and where I want to go with it.

If you read my last post, you read that I am ambitious and hungry, and all of the above.  And I am, I truly am.  I want those things more than I want anything else.  I've already given up a lot to attempt (with no guarantee) to achieve them.

But sometimes I wish I could turn off my brain.  It can be my greatest asset, or my worst enemy. Right now it feels like an enemy.

Don't worry, I'm not going to think myself into abandoning what I'm doing here.  I know that I'm guilty of doing that before.  Running away, but  I'm beyond that stage of my life at this point.  I'm all in, and there is no turning back.  I refuse.

There is no running away anymore.  I've ran from people that care about me, who invest in me, who believe in me.  I've been so terrified of letting them close, that I flee wildly, and hurt them in the process.  And with that I alienate myself.  I recognize this, I've recognized it before.  Multiple people tell me this.  And I'm lonely because of it.

I guess this is a side that people don't see of me frequently, cause I can be good at quelling it and putting it aside.  But hey, we all get a little melancholy sometimes, right?

I don't know, I guess its just word vomit at this point.  I needed an outlet, and this blog seemed like a good place to do it.

Doing this is a lonely pursuit, running in general is.  No one can make it happen, except you.  Which is why I like the sport to begin with.

I recently moved on from my coach out here, for a variety of reasons.  I appreciate everything that he did for me, I really do.  But there are some things we didn't see eye to eye on, and I wholeheartedly believe that it was best for my career to move on and try something different.

So now its time to enter a new phase of training, a new phase of this adventure.  Brain or no brain, I shall continue on.  Its not gonna be easy, this aint no lark.  Some people may believe that this is all fun and games and what not.  But its not, not one bit.  I'm doing what I love, but it comes at a cost.  I'm willing to accept that cost, and the whole process will be heartrending and incredibly difficult at times.  But anyone who has walked down this road will agree, that in the end, it shall be worth it.

For now, I'll coach myself, and use whatever resources I have to craft a training regimen that will work for me in the long run.  I've got a lot to work on, so I guess I should get some shut eye.

Thanks for listening to this bitch session.  Sometimes I just gotta talk myself through these things.

Nick Hilton: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

Reflections

So its now almost been 3 months since I made the biggest decision of my life and moved across the country out here to Flagstaff.

Sometimes it still seems really surreal, especially when I'm out on a trail, busting through another 60 min. run, and a view of the mountains comes in through the trees.  Sometimes its hard to believe that I'm really here doing this.

A wise man once told me that "It's a dangerous business going out your front door."  implying that the road ahead is not going to be easy.  And it certainly has not been easy.  It has been an incredibly tough process.  I'm working my ass off, both in the workplace, and on the roads, and sometimes the weight of it all can be a bit heavy.

But I wouldn't change a thing.

I'm honestly happier now than I have been in a long long time.

My life is entirely focused on the task at hand.  Everything revolves around becoming the best runner I possibly can be, and I realize now, that this is what I've been missing from my life these past few months.

I haven't had that focus, that single minded drive towards one goal, and I think that was part of what made me so unhappy at times.

And with this focus comes lessons, growth, and realizations.

Since I've been here I've learnt more, and grown more as a person and runner than in the past 3 years combined.  I'm more responsible and more accountable for my actions than at any point in my life previously.  I'm on my own, on my own two feet, and excelling, and its a wonderful feeling.

And because of these lessons, I'm done putting limits on what I can accomplish.  For too long I have limited myself as to what I can do.

In high school it was just getting a state medal, not competing for a title.

In college it was getting to NCAA's, or getting All-American.  Until at one point I aimed for a national title, but the road got bumpy, and again I got scared to dream.

Post-college, for awhile, there were no goals.  Maybe get to the trials? Run half decently?  That was where I put my limits.

Enough of that.

I'm coming to realization that maybe I'm more talented than I originally believed.  The limits of this I do not know, so why put limits on where I can go and what I can accomplish.

Someone once told me prior to my coming out here to "Go be great".  Well damnit, that's what I'm going to do.

No longer is it "just trying to make the trials".

I want to make the damn team.  I want to win a US title at some point.  I want to don the USA uniform.  
I want to run 2:10 in the marathon, Sub 8:20 in the steeplechase, Sub 4 for the mile, 13:30 for 5k, 28:00  for 10k.

I want to do the work to make these things happen.  I want to run the miles.  I want to grind out the workouts.  This is the life I want to live.

I may not make a ton of money in my life, but I'll have more than 99% of people who do.  Once I hang them up for good, I want to look back and smile at the things I did and be glad I did them, with nothing held back, and no regrets.

And with that, I'll be happy.  Which, in the end, is all I want.

Nick Hilton: The Maybe not so Moderately Talented Distance Runner  

Belated Thankfulness Post + Race Results!!

So Its a few days after Thanksgiving, but I still have a ton to be thankful for and  a ton of people to recognize for impacting my life in an incredibly positive way.  Its been a bumpy road to get to the place I am now, but I am happier than I have been in a long time, and there are a lot of people who are responsible for that so here comes the thank yous!

So I think the best way to this is a list.

People Nick is Thankful for:

The Entire ARS Staff (Joel, Alicia, Dee, June, Sorita, and Lauren):  Your support and friendship during my time at home was crucial at a time when I was a pretty lost soul.  During my time at ARS you guys (whether you realized it or not) helped me find myself once again, and rediscover my love and passion for the sport of running.  I don't think I've ever enjoyed a job more, and working at the store was never really "work" for me, I enjoyed coming in everyday and seeing you guys.  It was a fantastic experience.

My Lock Haven Family: (Coach Russell, Mazur, Muff, and all the rest of the guys) Always being positive and supportive through some rough days, and being there for me even though I certainly didn't always deserve it.  You've done some things for me which I'll never be able to repay, and will always remember.

My New Flagstaff Family: (Matt Walsh, Julian De Rubira, Adam Vess, Steve Soprano, Alicia Shay, Matt Llano, Vince Sherry, et al) You guys make Flagstaff fun and a place that I can certainly now call my home.  To the guys that I run with: We're gonna make some waves in the near future, that's for damn sure.  Keep putting in the work and we will be bashing some skulls and bringing back scalps in no time.

Ryan Blood and Ryan Mulchahy: You guys are the reason I'm out here living my dream right now.  My appreciation for your help and friendship can't be understated in the slightest.  Keep on plugging, and good things will happen.

The Crew: You guys are the shit, no other way around that.  Can't wait til we are all reunited and can all make fun of Ross once again for being the Queen of the Maids.  Good times certainly await us in the near future.

Melinda: Just thanks for being an awesome friend through many bad days.  I don't think I've ever deserved you as a friend or anything else, but you always lend a hand and tell me how it is, and I certainly need that.  The words Thank You will never suffice, but at least its something.

Last but Certainly not Least: My Family: The people that have put up with everything, and support me through it all.  When I said I was moving 2000+ miles away, they never flinched, but supported me and my dreams, which is all I can ask for.  Not a day goes by without me appreciating every little thing they've done for me.  So thank you, and I'll see you soon.

Sorry if I forgot anyone, I tried to give shoutouts to as many people as possible.  Thank you to everyone who reads this thing and supports what I'm doing out here.  The thought of all of you helps me get through some of those bad runs at 10 pm at night.

So If you got through all that and are still reading, its time for Race Results!!

Ran the Dana Point 10k turkey trot on Thanksgiving day and actually had a positive result!!! 

Official time was 30:34, which was my original goal, so I can say it was a good day.  I went out hard again, but was conservative through some of the middle miles, to make sure that I didn't bonk the last few miles.  I definitely feel like 30:15 could have been possible if I was a little more aggressive.

So considering what kind of workouts I've been doing, this is a very big step and bodes very well for the future.

Resultfs are here -->   https://www.runraceresults.com/Secure/RaceResults.cfm?ID=RCEL2012

Next up is the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run on New Years Eve!!

Welp, see you all later!

Nick: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials

Just plugging away here in Flag.  Definitely starting to feel the buildup of miles from over the past 10 weeks or so. 

Being moderately talented means that I also need to work to be able to keep training.  So the combination of 45 hour work weeks and 90+ miles can get you a bit run down.  Through it all though, I remember why I'm doing this, and how good I want to be. 

Days get long, (even though they're actually getting shorter and colder), but I know the work will pay off. 

Everytime I start to struggle and find it tough, I just think about how good it would feel to come down the homestretch of the U.S. Championships in the steeplechase final, battling some of the top guys in the country.  That thought keeps me going through a lot of cold dark runs. 

And I know the only way that I'm going to find myself in that position is to keep on logging the miles, putting in the time on the roads and trail. 

So on the roads and trails I will stay, with that thought in mind, focused and rolling no matter how cold.

You'll also find me selling shoes, and making up some coffee and burritos, cause a man needs to earn some dough in order to keep chasing the dream.

Having a great group around is also essential and makes those workouts and long runs go by quicker and more pleasantly.  Guys like Ryan Blood, Ryan Mulcahey, Julian de Rubira, Adam Vess, Matt Walsh, and Steve Soprano make training in Flagstaff even better, and I can't wait until we start laying down the performances that we're capable of.

Looking forward to racing on Turkey day at Dana Point!

Much Love to All

Nick Hilton: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

Results and More!

So, again, its been awhile.  Sorry about that, I'll try more to be better at this whole blogging thing. 

The Phoenix 10k, was another not stellar result, but, this is a result I learned from for sure.  I ran 31:33 for 7th place, which was about a minute off of my goal time.  Results here --> http://www.ceptiming.com/2012/misc402/12Phoenix10K-10k-All.txt

2 things that I learned:

1: 4:42 pace feels too easy when you're coming down from 7000 feet, but it catches up with you VERY quickly.

2: With my work being almost entirely aerobic, I had some difficulty walking the anaerobic red line, and found myself crossing over very easily.
                  2(a): With that said, I feel like I can hold 5-5:10 pace for a good amount of time, but just am not at the point where I can hold a faster pace for any period longer than a mile or two.  But that will come with time and more preparation, that just hasn't been the focus in this first phase of my altitude training.

So, overall, while disappointed with the finish, it definitely could have been worse, and I did in fact learn something.  Which is always good.

Next race coming up is the Dana Point Turkey Trot 10k, on Thanksgiving day.  I WILL hold back and run more conservatively early on, and will hope to negative split and run around 30:30.  That would be a good improvement curve and would set me up well for the remainder of my road racing season.

Training is still consistent and going well.  Officially logged my first two weeks over 90 miles at altitude, which is certainly exciting!

Still confident about my fitness right now, and know that will racing will come around.  Last night in Sedona we did a workout consisting of 2x 2.2 mile hill climbs at 5:50 pace, followed by 4 sets of 3 200's with 200 rest working down from 32 seconds to 29 (Sedona is still at about 5000 ft).  I hit everything dead on and felt very strong , so its coming.  Just need some patience (not always my strong suit). 

Booked my tickets home to PA for the holiday season yesterday!  So for all my peeps in the keystone state, can't wait to see you all and share some good times! (maybe a redux of dec. 23rd of last year, without being punched by a panda). 

At the tail end of my journey home I will compete in the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in Central Park NYC on New Years Eve, my first time racing in the big apple.  That's going to be an epic run, have heard its one of the coolest out there.

Thats all for now, Take care and thanks for the support! Love you all.

Nick: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner.