Blog

Run for over fifty years and you’re bound to eventually learn a few things. One such lesson is that being tired from a workout is not the same as being worn out from not having a sufficient recovery from your workouts. I can distinctly recall races where what I called “tired legs” limited my performance and in some cases, led to an injury. This essential lesson is the topic of today’s post. Walking with Rick? There’s more to recovery than “not running.” As I’ll delve into

I thought I could do it. I really did. I thought that with just one small 5K under my belt I could place in my age group in Iowa’s largest race, the Bix 7. Oh man, I put so much thought and planning into doing this. But when my Garmin informed me of my time for that third mile - much of which was downhill - reality splattered into me like the onslaught from an angry starling above. I was not able to maintain the pace I’d wanted. Indeed, given how I was already starting to

406 days. Approximately 9757 hours. That’s how long it had been since my last race. As those who follow this post know, the time since that race has seen far too much drama. Knee injury. Platelet-Rich Plasma injection. MRI. Meniscus surgery. Blah. Blah. Blah. What mattered most to me was the walk up to that starting line in downtown Ames, Iowa. Me and just over four hundred other participants clustering closer and closer together. What was going through my head? Prett

Standing outside a wonderful bnb in McMinville, OR. Could've easily stayed there a few more days! The instruments and memorabilia are packed away. But the memories linger. Memories of seven runs over ten days in three different states with my Nikes pounding away on one of the nation’s most renowned walk paths to remote trails at over eight thousand feet elevation to touching base with my spiritual center. A short, but thoroughly delightful adventure that I call The “No Slu

Let’s make something clear. My January 3 post from earlier this year does not count. It’s been retro conned away. It was a bad dream. It’s been written out of the script of my life. Thanks to a successful surgery on my left knee, I’m back to running. Specifically, my Nike Pegasus’s are being put through their paces five times a week. That includes speedwork with Coach Ives again. My paces are approaching where I’d been before I tore my meniscus last July. That qualif

I know. I know. I can’t run the Eugene Half Marathon this year. But who’s to say I can't imagine what it would be like to be a part of that amazing race! To feel those butterflies as I take off with thousands of other runners. To wonder how I’ll feel when I hit that midpoint in the race. To again face that challenging hill at Mile 10. And to savor those final strides down that incredible track at Hayward Field. Hey, I’ve got an even better idea! Why don’t all of you join me a

As I navigate a hazy running future with my knee, there is the possibility that that half marathons will no longer be part of my racing calendar. Truth be told, I’m actually better at races that go between 6-10 miles. Those races don’t take near a toll on me as much as thirteen plus miles. Nor do they require the same degree of mental focus as the longer half marathon. That’s likely the reason I prefer the half marathon. For me, they represent the ultimate challenge in com

It happened on Pre’s Trail in Eugene last month. Call it an epiphany. Call it a defining moment. Or just call it a good day. Regardless, I left that workout with a greater determination and goal. I wanted to run again. It was a cool, foggy morning. A soundtrack of late 1983 music kept me company on those sawdust trails as I alternated five minutes of running with three minutes of walking. Although it was a world removed from what I’d have been doing just six months earli

Don't be fooled by the confusedly garbed me you see in this AI-generated pic! (And those biceps are definitely mine!) I hate being cold! As I'm recovering from my PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injection, I'm noticing our change in seasons here in Iowa with temps finally dropping. I've said it before and it's worth repeating here that I'll take the hottest, most tropical day over a frigid one with horrid sub-zero wind chills. But our weather in the Midwest most typically falls

Steve Prefontaine - putting Oregon on the map for long distance running! I remember the day like it was just a couple weeks ago. Because...

Meet the 2025 Body Project Team! Front row (l-R): Casey Willenborg, Rachel Morgan, Ryan Clement, Mandy Ives. Back Row: Nick Klocke, Me,...

Let's set the scene: Thirteen days ago, I'm just about at the Mile 10 flag at the Eugene Half Marathon, passing a couple of runners. Up...

The closest I ever came to Dan Marino. Dear Rick, This email comes from yourself, sent nearly twenty years from your future. I'm sending...

This is me wondering if I left the fireplace on at the house. “Because, sir, you are an idiot.” That was my response to the question I...

This pic was taken after a 13-mile run last August. Only 4 more months until I can wear singlets again! I have a confession to make. I...

Believe it or not, Krusteaz is a PNW company that makes pancake mix. Meet Mr. Reasonably-Nice Guy. That’s me. Or so I’m hoping. ...

Am I an Ass? We’re going to get to that rather significant question later in this blog. But first, let’s check out some of my other...

"I truly hate racing in 5k’s." That's exactly what I would have said prior to July 13 of this year. Of course, hate is probably too...

Have you ever experienced a time in your life that you were simply happy to be in the moment? A time where nothing could take away the...

It's happened again! The insidious Capital Pursuit Curse caused me to miss one of my favorite races! For the fourth straight time, I...