On August 28th, myself and about 300-400 other runners will participate in the bulldog 25k trail run in the Santa Monica Mountains. It will mark my first trail race and also my first step towards taking on the inevitable 100 mile race (ulp).

I'm having mixed emotions about the upcoming event. Obviously the excitement is overwhelming, but, it being a venture into the unknown, I also feel like I'm gonna hurl up a rainbow all over the place when I think about it. The thing is, during my training runs, I feel strong and confident that, even on such hilly, technically challenging trails, I'm more than ready, both physically and mentally. But when I'm sitting on my ass, typing away (like now), I start to feel a fleet of heavy-winged butterflies forming in my belly. And...well, I kind of like it.

I've never really been the guy who gets butterflies, and it's no great mystery as to why: I haven't ever been big into risk-taking. I know that sounds weird coming from a guy who's moved all over the country and whose source of income had never EVER been steady or predictable, but this phase of my life I'm entering feels...different. I'm making things happen now, truly, for the first time, grabbing the reins and gently guiding myself down different paths.

So, if for some ungodly reason, you find yourself awake at 7:00 the Sunday morning of August 28th, think good thoughts for me, stuff like, "look out for that root!", "don't forget to hydrate!" and "make sure to pee as far off the trail as you can!"