Week 13 - "Track"

“The doer alone learneth.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

We all enjoy the familiar feeling of companionship if it is with family, friends or even the pet dog. The warmth of knowing the people or pets around you and are there for you because they want to be and enjoy your company. There comes a time in everyone’s life that they must venture out and tackle or face challenges alone knowing they may succeed or not. The reason why we can do this is that though we may be alone at the time there is constant reminder deep in our soul that knows that we have the support and well being of our companions in life.

Today is one of those days. It is Friday morning at 4:41AM. I lie awake in bed thinking of the challenge I have laid out before me. Sarah is still asleep by my side as is the rest of the house. I brood over the track workout on a cold, rainy morning, alone. The Wonder Twins have formed a bond and are attach to the hip these days. Their schedule is their schedule as they prepare for an upcoming 10K race in March. Jeff did not mention any hint of wanting to run track and with the weather and no particular goal who could blame him for wanting to subside in the warmth of his bed for a couple more hours. The rest of my friends were running a long run this morning, so that left me and me alone to battle the elements and pursue the flight of speed around the oval at AHS.

A few minutes later, I cast the die and got myself out of the comforts of bed to face the challenge set forth.

Lately, with the closing of Brookwood, I have been forced to find alternative routes into Alpharetta. I proceeded down the same path I ventured on Thursday in order to stop by the post office to send a package to my sister, Tracey. After the drop off I cruised down Webb Bridge to LTF. As I rounded onto Northpoint I saw a familiar hoard of runners crossing the road. As I honk at the group, the look that proceeded from each and everyone one of them was of look of incense. Did they not know it was me? Why the scowls so early in the morning from all? I figured something had happened and it was not the honking of the horn that set the clan onto the warpath.

After the perpetual process at the gym, I headed east down Webb Bridge to the track. The rain was a light mist with gust of winds blowing the droplets in directions against Newton’s Law.

Entering the AHS stadium the sense of solitude overcame me as I made my way north on the track towards the starting line of my workout. Dropping my bottle and sweatshirt I made the traditional scouting run around the track to clear my path of obstacles and mark the 200M point on the back portion near the visitor’s section. The black garbage can was untouched at the 50 yard line from the Wonder Twins track session 5 days earlier. During the scouting run I had my iPod tuned in but through the sound of Billy Joe Armstrong singing, Walking Contradiction, goose pimples started to develop on my neck as voices from the track started to overtake the music in my ears. I shut off the pod and tried to hone in on the voices. Rounding the north end curve of the oval the voices turned into conversation as I jerked my neck back and forth while trying to focus my eyes on the field and grandstand to pinpoint the voices. I stopped for a brief moment concentering my vision on the press box and a low light that was illuminating from a picture window above. Blinking my eyes repetitively, I witnessed shadows of figures dancing amongst the ceiling of the room above. Logic at 5:30AM on a cold, rainy Friday morning does not compute. The first imaginative thought that flashed through my head was spooks! A split second later, the voices became clearer as common sense took over the imagination. “You are at a high school; the voices are definitely that of high school kids upstairs in the press box”.

Looking across the field towards the Visitor bleachers

Clearing of the head, it was time to forge ahead with the 5 X 1000M’s at 0:03:37’s that awaited me in the abyss of the morning night.

The start of the 1000M's

5 X 1000M with a 400M RI:

1. 0:03:34
2. 0:03:36
3. 0:03:37
4. 0:03:40? (Mind started to wander and was not in tune with the goal!)
5. 0:03:37 (That’s better)

Averaged out to 0:03:37, does that count?

When the workout was completed, I headed back to the gym to stretch and complete a few hip exercises. During this routine, Brian and Ann Marie approached me. Brian just finished a 20 miler while Ann Marie hooked on with Brian for the last 10. I asked the both of them why the scowls on their faces when I honked earlier? Both indicated it was a reflex from biking. When a car honks, the first thing that runs through your mind is WTH! This thought is then translated into your facial expression as an angery stare at the honker. The reasoning is understood for being a cyclist in my past and a runner that encouters drivers on the roads.

We chatted for a few minutes and Brian departed for his day. Ann Marie and I talked about injuries, massages, kitchen appliances, stuff and biking…She is riding with Stacy in the morning and asked if Sarah and I would like to ride. I advised her that Sarah might be up for a ride, but not me. I am still having issues with my relationship with my bike. I told Ann Marie I see the bike hanging in the garage, but feel no desire for her at all. The love is gone. She is concerned that I may not bike, but that is unknown at this point in mid-January. I did not bike at all last year after Ironman Florida until after running Boston. So the thought of "the ride" is tucked far away in my cerebral cortex.

Just like the alone track session on a cold, rainy, damp and dark morning, I need to come to grasps with the bike portion of my training by myself. Learning what will work for me and what I need to accomplish I know I have the support, but the ultimate decision needs to something that can only be made alone, but for now it is the run that is important to me.