Author: natelballew

Father of 4 boys. Fiction/Non-fiction writer.
Ultra Marathon, Workout Routines

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): 3 Ways to Mountain-Proof Those Chicken Legs

Here are 3 ways I’ve been training for the mountains in my 60k: 1. Plant-based Nutrition I eat a strictly plant-based diet, because Herbivores don’t get as sore as Omnivores I went to this intense gym class in my twenties. The goal of the class was to torture its victims by taking individual exercises and doing them for entire songs at a time. So if … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): 3 Ways to Mountain-Proof Those Chicken Legs

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Ultra Marathon, Workout Routines

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): The Break-up (I’ll Run When I Want to!)

Dear Training Schedule, You suck. Sincerely, – Nate P.S. I hope you end up in a van down by the river. From now on, I’m going rouge. I’m play my own song, and I’m dance however I want to. That training plan, I burned it up in the garbage can. And yes, it was a plastic garbage bin. And no, it wasn’t a well thought out … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): The Break-up (I’ll Run When I Want to!)

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): I’m Too Afraid to Run With You

Your Strava statistics intimidate me. It took me 4 hours this morning to run 16 miles. According to your profile, you’d be waiting an hour-and-a-half at the finish for me to shuffle in. Are there Facebook groups for runners who take too long to run trails? Maybe a group for IT Band injured runners who hobble down mountains? Can you imagine 30-40 trail runners limping … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): I’m Too Afraid to Run With You

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Putting My Procrastination in a Choke-Hold

I conjure up the strength to take off towards the mountain. It’s been a month since I’ve climbed it; I’ve let procrastination hold me closer to sea level for too long. Every excuse passes before me: But, what about my endurance bag, it won’t be here till tomorrow! And the boys, they’re doing school right now,and they’ll be pissed if I go without them! And … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Putting My Procrastination in a Choke-Hold

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): It’s Hard Running With a Large Family

Having five kids is hard. There, I said it. Often, people are will say things like, “Oh, bless your heart for having all those kids,” and “You’re a better man than me”. Hogwash. Having children, adopted or birthed, doesn’t make anyone a better person or better parent than anybody else. For example, I hated coffee until I was 26-years-old. I tried my first cup o’ … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): It’s Hard Running With a Large Family

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Ultra Marathon

My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Will They Cancel My Race?

An email from Jenny Baker sat in my inbox. Subject: “The Georgia Jewel”. Here it is. I thought. They’ve cancelled my race. This fear has been in the forefront of my fragile existence for months. My finger hovered over the email. You knew it was coming, right? Everyone else has had their race cancelled. Why wouldn’t yours be the same? I have been in a … Continue reading My First Ultra-Marathon (Attempt): Will They Cancel My Race?

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