“I’ve been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest.”
My car troubles continue…and now my road bike has defiantly given up as well. (Two tire punctures in one week!) Commuting to work this past week has been a nightmare and to top it off it’s still crazy hot!!
I found myself running home last Wednesday, it was typically hot and the scenery is nothing special, I did get to eventually detour away from the smog and noise of passing trucks to the more peaceful and fun single track that webs its way through Thompsons Lake Reserve. The gum leaves provided some welcome shade and the familiar paths were like revisiting an old friend. I grew to love running on these trails a few years ago. They are the closest thing to real nature near my home and I know them all intimately. There is the log where I jumped over “that” tiger snake, over there is the mud trail that I saw a hiker fall and get covered in mud, over that hill is where the kangaroos usually hang out.
I have neglected these trails all summer, working too close to sunset being the principle excuse. Looking back at those early outings I’ve realized how much I’ve grown as a runner, and also what I’ve forgotten. I was certainly naive about running then. I didn’t know about nutrition, or GPS’s or the benefit of minimalist footwear. My weekly mileage was about 40-50k a week (which I though was massive) and I didn’t have a single race under my belt.
I believe, however that my shift in thinking hasn’t been entirely beneficial. You see, I can run father with greater ease, and I can say I’ve finished a few races but I’ve lost a key element to a runner’s arsenal that is more detrimental than any training plateau I’ve ever faced. The key thing that I’d forgotten was this: FUN.
Somewhere along the line, i'd gotten too caught up in racing, or more importantly racing well. My training load became huge, and running became a chore to maintain peak fitness.
The saying “the journey is more important than the destination” should be every distance runners mantra. I look at my race calendar for this year, and for the first time in two years, it’s blank…That is liberating.
The significance and feeling of accomplishment of every run should be equal to that of a race...Only a ticking clock distinguishes the two.
Enjoy.
