6 - 12 JUNE Training Week; Stress on the Armed Forces

Things have been a little spotty this past week, but I did manage 60 miles in 6 days of training. I took a few days to recover by running easy from the dual challenge of my 20 miler last Saturday and Grace's birth. But, I feel pretty good and am taking today off after a 13 miler yesterday that I ran at about a 7 minute pace through some less-than-optimal rain conditions (exacerbated by my shoes getting soaked within the first mile).



Additionally, the subtle graphics to the left indicate that I've signed up for the Wellington Marathon this coming Sunday. I don't know what the weather will be like except to say that it is fairly likely that wind will be an ingredient. I'd like to run a 7 minute pace and finish at around the 3 hour mark, but my more important goal is to run healthy and consistently (or, with an even pace, perhaps even a negative split). This is less a competition for me and more a confidence building run a little over 2 months before my 50 mile showdown (and Western States 100 qualifier). So next week you should have an update - wish me luck!

My military/WWP related post this week comes from USA Today and Gregg Zoroya, who has become an excellent source of reporting on the issues facing soldiers upon return from the battlefield. This piece from about a month ago is about the increasing stress soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are feeling. Essentially, the more times they deploy, they exhibit exponential growth in a number of negative mental health pathologies. From 2005 - 2010, morale went down markedly, and morale is what keeps the military going. It is very difficult to convince young men in the prime of their lives that defending their country is an ideal worth the potential sacrifice of their health and lives. The paycheck is not sufficient (believe me). Morale, honor, and a sense of duty make up that important gap. That's why it is important to pay attention to dwindling morale ~ because when as a nation we lose that, we may lose the necessary few among us to guard our home and way of life.